Fondante Van Mons

Pear

Origin/History

Raised by Dr. Van Mons. Introduced to the United States by Robert Manning of Salem, Massachusetts (Downing, Hedrick). Downing notes it was "first introduced by Mr. Manning."

Tree

Good grower and productive (Elliott). Bears abundantly (Downing). Young wood brick red (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Nearly medium (Downing), medium (Hedrick, Elliott), or rather small (Thomas). Sources range from "rather small" to "medium."

Form: Roundish, a little depressed (Downing). Globular, somewhat depressed (Hedrick). Roundish obovate (Elliott). Roundish (Thomas).

Skin: Pale yellow (Downing, Thomas). According to Hedrick, skin is thin, delicate, smooth, and removable like that of an orange when the pear is fully ripe, with a peculiar perfume and flavor very agreeable to some persons; pale yellow, mottled with thin cinnamon-colored russet. Elliott describes the skin as greenish yellow, marbled with red and some russet specks.

Stem: Stout, an inch and a half long, planted in a rather deep cavity (Downing). Stout, curved (Elliott).

Cavity: Rather deep (Downing).

Calyx: Set in a pretty deep basin (Downing). Large, open (Elliott).

Basin: Pretty deep (Downing).

Core: Large (Elliott).

Flesh and Flavor: White, juicy, melting, sweet, and of very agreeable flavor (Downing). Yellowish-white, buttery, sweet, melting, juicy, with a musky perfume (Hedrick). Yellowish white, coarse, melting, buttery, sweet (Elliott). Juicy, melting, sweet, agreeable (Thomas). Hedrick specifically notes the musky perfume. Elliott alone describes the texture as coarse.

Quality: Only good (Downing). Good (Hedrick). "Very good" (Elliott).

Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

First of November (Downing). October and November (Hedrick). October (Elliott). November (Thomas).

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Fondante Van Mons.

Raised by Dr. Van Mons, and first introduced by Mr. Manning. It bears abundantly. Young wood brick red.

Fruit nearly of medium size, roundish, a little depressed. Skin pale yellow. Stalk stout, an inch and a half long, planted in a rather deep cavity. Calyx set in a pretty deep basin. Flesh white, juicy, melting, sweet, and of very agreeable flavor. Only good. First of November.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Fondante Van Mons. z. Mag. Hort. 22:289, fig. 15. 1846. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 581. 1884. Raised by Van Mons and introduced to this country by R. Manning, Salem, Mass. Fruit medium, globular, somewhat depressed; skin thin, delicate, smooth, removable like that of an orange when the pear is fully ripe and having a peculiar perfume and flavor, very agreeable to some persons; pale yellow, mottled with thin cinnamon-colored russet; flesh yellowish-white, buttery, sweet, melting, juicy, with a musky perfume; good; Oct. and Nov.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Fondante Van Mons.

Foreign. Tree, good grower and productive. Fruit, medium, roundish obovate, greenish yellow, marbled with red and some russet specks ; stem, stout, curved; calyx, large, open ; core, large ; flesh, yellowish white, coarse, melting, buttery, sweet; "very good." October.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Fondante, Van Mons. Rather small, roundish, pale yellow; juicy, melting, sweet, agreeable. November.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)