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Franc-Real

Pear

Franc-Real

Origin / History

Mentioned by Charles Estienne in 1540, and by other French authorities of the seventeenth century (Hedrick). Hedrick cites Duhamel, Traité des Arbres Fruitiers 2:180, 1768, and Leroy, Dictionnaire Pomologique 2:194, 1869, and cites Downing (1869) under the name Franc Real d'Hiver. Downing (1900) writes of it as the Winter Franc Réal; Thomas (1903) gives it as Franc Real d'Hiver.

Tree

Grows upright. Bears well (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Medium (Downing, Thomas); Hedrick has it above medium and often larger.

Form: Roundish, slightly pyriform (Downing); globular-turbinate and bossed (Hedrick).

Stem: Not described in source.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Not described in source.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Yellow, golden-yellow (Hedrick), with a brownish cheek (Downing); some brownish-red patches (Hedrick). Thomas gives "yellow and brown."

Dots: Speckled with russet brown (Downing); strewed with large russet dots (Hedrick).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh crisp and firm (Downing); crisp (Thomas). Very white, breaking, juicy, hardly sweet, rather acid, without perfume (Hedrick).

Core and seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Winter. Recorded from November to March: November to February (Hedrick), December to March (Downing).

Uses

Cooking pear. Downing calls it "a good cooking Pear"; Thomas gives "cooking"; Hedrick has it "first for cooking."

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

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)

Franc Peal d'Hiver. Franc Réal. Fine Gold of Winter. Golden End of Winter. Fin Or d'Hiver. Gros Micet. The Winter Franc Réal is a good cooking Pear, bears well, and grows upright. Fruit of medium size, roundish, slightly pyriform. Skin yellow, speckled with russet brown, and having a brownish cheek. Flesh crisp and firm. In use from December to March.

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

Franc Real d'Hiver. Medium, roundish, yellow and brown; crisp—cooking. Winter.

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

Franc-Real,

  1. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:180. 1768.
  2. Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:194, fig. 1869. Franc Real d'Hiver.
  3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 766. 1869.

Mentioned by Charles Estienne in 1540, and other French authorities of the seventeenth century. Fruit above medium and often larger, globular-turbinate and bossed, golden-yellow, strewed with large russet dots, and some brownish-red patches; flesh very white, breaking, juicy, hardly sweet, rather acid, without perfume; first for cooking; Nov. to Feb.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
Fin Or d'Hiver Fine Gold of Winter Franc Peal d'Hiver Franc Real d'Hiver Golden End of Winter Gros Micet Winter Franc Réal Gerardine Glou Morceau Hampden's Bergamot JARGONELLE Long Green, of Coxe Long Green Naquette Orange d'Hiver Paradiesbirne Passe Colmar Sainte Anne Sapieganka St. Dorothee Summer Franc Real Verte Longue Panachée, Striped Long Green Verte longue Winter Nelis