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Fortunée

Pear

Fortunée (Pear)

Origin / History

An old variety of Belgian origin, found as a wilding near Enghien in Hainaut (Hedrick). Downing attributes it to M. Parmentier of Enghien, who raised it; Hedrick describes it as a wilding found in the same district rather than a deliberate raising. It was disseminated about 1830 (Hedrick). Downing notes it as valuable and profitable to grow for sale as a cooking pear.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Downing gives "medium or below"; Hedrick gives "small"; Thomas gives "rather small." Sources are consistent that this is a below-average to small pear.

Form: Downing describes the shape as roundish oblate; Hedrick gives globular or globular-turbinate; Thomas gives roundish. The sources are in mild disagreement — Downing's "oblate" contrasts with Hedrick's "globular-turbinate," which implies a slight tapering toward the stem.

Stem: Short (Downing). No further detail in any source.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Open (Downing).

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Downing describes the skin as greenish yellow, slightly netted and patched with russet, with many russet dots. Hedrick describes it as rough to the touch, deep yellow, covered with flakes and lines of brown-russet. The two sources disagree on base color — Downing gives greenish yellow, Hedrick gives deep yellow — while agreeing that russet coverage is substantial.

Flesh / Flavor: Downing: whitish, melting, sweet. Hedrick: semi-melting, juicy, sweet. Thomas: juicy, sprightly. Sources agree on juiciness and general sweetness; Downing and Hedrick disagree slightly on degree of melt (melting vs. semi-melting); Thomas adds "sprightly," suggesting a livelier, less purely sweet flavor than Downing's characterization.

Core / Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Downing gives November–December; Thomas gives Winter. These are consistent with a late fall to early winter pear.

Conflict — Hedrick gives May and June, which differs sharply from the other two sources. Hedrick also lists "Fortunée de Printemps" (Spring Fortunée) as a synonym, suggesting he may be describing a distinct spring-ripening variety under the same name, or conflating the two. Researchers identifying fruit in hand should note this ambiguity: the November–December season (Downing, Thomas) and the May–June season (Hedrick) likely correspond to different varieties sharing the Fortunée name.

Uses

Cooking pear (all three sources). Downing specifically notes it is valuable and profitable to grow for commercial sale in that capacity.

Subtypes / Variants

The synonym "Fortunée de Printemps" (listed by Hedrick via Leroy, 1869) implies a spring-ripening form or a closely related variety that has historically traveled under related names. The May–June season Hedrick reports may belong to this spring strain rather than to the fall Fortunée described by Downing and Thomas.

Other

Downing lists the following associated names in narrative context: Episcopal, Surpasse Fortunée, La Fortunée de Paris, Fortunée de Remme, La Fortunée de Parmentier, Beurre de Remme, Bergamotte Fortunée. Hedrick cites Bergamotte Fortunée (Ann. Pom. Belge, 1857) and Fortunée de Printemps (Leroy, 1869) among his references.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 1 catalog (1900)

  • Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (3)

Fortunee.

Episcopal. Surpasse Fortunee. La Fortunee de Paris. Fortunee de Remme. La Fortunee de Parmentier. Beurre de Remme. Bergamotte Fortunee.

An old variety, raised by M. Parmentier, of Enghien, and valuable and profitable to grow for sale as a cooking Pear.

Fruit medium or below, roundish oblate, greenish yellow, slightly netted and patched with russet, many russet dots. Stalk short. Calyx open. Flesh whitish, melting, sweet. November, December.

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

Fortunée.

  1. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 436. 1845. Bergamotte Fortunée.
  2. Ann. Pom. Belge 8:29, fig. 1857. Fortunée de Printemps.
  3. Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:188, fig. 1869.

A Belgian wilding found near Enghien in Hainaut; disseminated about 1830. Fruit small, globular or globular-turbinate; skin rough to the touch, deep yellow, covered with flakes and lines of brown-russet; flesh semi-melting, juicy, sweet; a cooking pear; May and June.

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

Fortunée. Rather small, roundish, russeted; juicy, sprightly—cooking. Winter.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Bergamote Fortunee Bergamotte Fortunee Bergamotte Fortunée Beurre d'Hiver Nouvelle Beurre de Remme Beurré de Parmentier Bonheur (P. de) Episcopal Episcopale Favorisee Favorisée Fortunee (La) de Paris Fortunee Belzi Fortunee Deremmes Fortunee Parmentier Fortunee d'Angers Fortunee d'Enghien Fortunee de Parmentier Fortunee de Reims Fortunee de Remme Fortunee de Rhaisme Fortunee de Rhemes Fortunnee de Remme Fortunée Belzi Fortunée Deremmes Fortunée Parmentier Fortunée d'Angers Fortunée d'Enghien Fortunée de Parmentier Fortunée de Printemps Fortunée de Reims Fortunée de Remme Fortunée de Rhaisme Fortunée de Rhemes Glücksbirne La Fortunee de Paris La Fortunee de Parmentier La Fortunée de Paris La Fortunée de Parmentier Parmentier (P. de) Surpasse Fortunee Surpasse Fortunée Glou Morceau