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Fortunée

Pear

Fortunée

Origin/History

An old variety originating near Enghien. Downing describes it as raised by M. Parmentier, of Enghien, noting it is valuable and profitable to grow for sale as a cooking pear. Hedrick characterizes it as a Belgian wilding found near Enghien in Hainaut, disseminated about 1830.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Downing gives medium or below; Hedrick gives small; Thomas gives rather small.

Form: Downing gives roundish oblate; Hedrick gives globular or globular-turbinate; Thomas gives roundish.

Stem: Downing: stalk short.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Downing: open.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Downing: greenish yellow, slightly netted and patched with russet, many russet dots. Hedrick: rough to the touch, deep yellow, covered with flakes and lines of brown-russet. Thomas: russeted.

Flesh/Flavor: Downing: whitish, melting, sweet. Hedrick: semi-melting, juicy, sweet. Thomas: juicy, sprightly.

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Downing gives November–December; Thomas gives Winter. Hedrick gives May and June — a direct conflict with both other sources.

Uses

Cooking pear (all three sources agree).

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Downing lists the following synonyms in the entry header: Episcopal; Surpasse Fortunée; La Fortunée de Paris; Fortunée de Remme; La Fortunée de Parmentier; Beurre de Remme; Bergamotte Fortunée. Hedrick additionally notes Bergamotte Fortunée and Fortunée de Printemps, with bibliographic references in Downing (1845), Annales de Pomologie Belge (1857), and Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1869).

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

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 de Remme Bonheur (P. de) Thom Episcopal Episcopale Fortunee (La) de Paris Fortunee Belzi Fortunee Deremmes Fortunee Parmentier Fortunee d' Enghien Fortunee de Parmentier Fortunee de Reims Fortunee de Remme Fortunee de Rhaisme Fortunee de Rhemes Fortunee d’ Enghien Fortunnee de Remme Fortunée de Printemps Glücksbirne La Fortunee de Paris La Fortunee de Parmentier Parmentier (P. de) Surpasse Fortunee Dundas