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Gansel's Bergamot

Pear
Illustration from Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Gansel's Bergamot

Origin / History

Gansel's Bergamot is an old English pear, raised from seed of the Autumn Bergamot by Lieutenant-General Gansel at Donneland Hall (Hovey, Downing; Bunyard gives the place as "Donneland Hill"), near Colchester, England. Lindley dates the raising to "about the middle of the last [eighteenth] century"; Hovey, Bunyard, and Hedrick give the year as 1768. Lindley considered it perhaps the highest-ranking native English autumnal pear "whether we consider its beauty, its excellence, or its prolific nature." Hovey notes that by the mid-nineteenth century the variety had been greatly neglected in the rapid introduction of new varieties, so that even large and choice collections were often without a single specimen, although British pomologists continued to esteem it a superior fruit. Hovey reports that Mr. Lowell mentions, among the few sorts cultivated in Massachusetts in 1815, the "Brockholst Bergamot," which Hovey identifies as undoubtedly this pear; Coxe cultivated it in his collection in New Jersey and described it in his work (1818) as a "very fine pear," and Hovey suggests it was probably introduced to American collections many years previous, or about the commencement of the present (nineteenth) century. Hedrick's bibliographic notes include Brookshaw's Pomona (1817), the Pomological Magazine (1828), Knoop's Fructologie (1771), and Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1867).

Coxe's 1817 description, here treated as the same variety under the name "Broca's Bergamot" (Lindley lists Broca's Bergamot as a synonym, marked with a query; Hovey, Elliott, Downing, Thomas, Bunyard all list Brocas Bergamot among the synonyms), characterizes it as "a very fine pear, superior to most of the Bergamot tribe, but a very uncertain and small bearer."

Tree

Sources differ on vigor. Lindley calls the wood "weak and flexuose, like that of the Brown Beurré, but … covered with a kind of mealiness, as are also the leaves, by which it is particularly distinguished from all the Beurrés and Chaumontelles." Coxe says the tree is "remarkably deficient in vigour of growth, and loses its leaves very early in the season: they fall sometimes as early as the fruit." Bunyard calls the growth "weak, straggling; fertility moderate," adding that it is "a weak grower, doing best when double grafted" and that "it requires a wall to bring its fruits to perfection." By contrast Elliott reports the tree as "vigorous, spreading, … productive" and notes it "succeeds well on Quince." Downing calls it "moderately vigorous, spreading in habit, and productive." The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz, B.C. (planted Spring 1893) records it as "a strong grower." Hovey describes the tree as "rather irregular and spreading in its growth, the branches horizontal at first, with the ends curved upwards; annual growth, short and rather slender," with "a wild habit, with small bluish green leaves, but by judicious pruning makes a good head," "rather late in coming into bearing, and does not succeed very well on the quince."

On bearing habit, Coxe calls it "a very uncertain and small bearer." Lindley says it "does not bear well as a standard, but yields a tolerably certain crop on an east or south-east wall, in which situation it ripens well." Hovey writes that "it has the reputation of being a small bearer, but this does not accord with our experience. True, it is not as prolific as the Bartlett or Buffum, but produces what may be termed a good crop, just enough to keep the tree in fine condition, without the troublesome labor of thinning."

Wood (Hovey): "Grayish olive, dotted with whitish specks, rather slender, and short-jointed; old wood, olive gray." Downing: "Young wood dull grayish brown." Thomas: "Shoots short, dark gray, spreading."

Buds (Hovey): "Small, short, obtusely ovate, diverging, with rather prominent shoulders." Flower-buds: "Small, obtusely pointed."

Leaves: Lindley — "shining, flat, rather mealy." Hovey — "Small, thick, dark bluish green, obovate, cordate at the base, narrowing to the point, wavy, and very slightly serrated; young leaves covered with a kind of mealiness; petioles, stout, one inch long, and rather slender." Thomas — "leaves flat, mealy." Bunyard — "round oval, entire, undulating."

Flowers (Hovey): "Small; petals, roundish obovate, crimped, much cupped; clusters, compact."

Elliott notes the tree "requires a warm, rich soil; on cold clay it is almost tasteless."

Fruit

Size. Coxe: "rather larger than the autumn Bergamot." Lindley: "Sometimes it attains a very large size, having occasionally been seen almost a foot in circumference," and generally "usually 7½ or 8 inches round." Hovey: "Large, about three inches long, and three and a half in diameter." Elliott: "large." Downing: "large." Thomas: "Rather large, sometimes only medium." Bunyard: "fairly large, 2½ by 2½." Hedrick: "medium." Central Experimental Farm: "large."

Form. Coxe: "the shape rounder [than the autumn Bergamot]; it is flat at both ends, diminishing a little towards the stem." Lindley: "ovate, very much flattened at the crown, … of a very regular figure, quite destitute of angles." Hovey: "Form, regular, roundish, considerably flattened at each end, and narrowing little towards the stem." Elliott: "roundish obovate." Downing: "roundish obovate, but much flattened." Thomas: "roundish-oblate, more or less approaching obovate, flattened most at crown." Bunyard: "flattened round." Hedrick: "globular-oblate." Central Experimental Farm: "roundish, obovate, flattened."

Stem / Stalk. Lindley: "Stalk short and fleshy, thickening on the back of its bent part." Hovey: "Stem, short, about half an inch long, moderately stout, straight, and deeply inserted in a small round cavity." Elliott: "stem, short." Downing: "Stalk short, fleshy at both ends." Thomas: "stalk short, half or three-fourths of an inch long, ends often fleshy." Bunyard: "Stem, medium, fleshy in a moderate deep cavity."

Cavity. Hovey: "small round cavity," with the stem "deeply inserted." Elliott: "cavity, deep." Downing: "Cavity moderate." Thomas: "cavity … smooth." Bunyard: "moderate deep cavity."

Calyx / Eye. Lindley: "Eye small." Hovey: "Eye, medium size, open, and sunk in a large, round, smooth, open basin; segments of the calyx, short and narrow." Elliott: "calyx, open." Downing: "Calyx short and small, placed in a smooth, moderate hollow." Bunyard: "Eye, open in a shallow basin."

Basin. Hovey: "large, round, smooth, open basin." Elliott: "basin, deep." Thomas: "basin smooth." Bunyard: "shallow basin." Downing: "smooth, moderate hollow."

Skin. Coxe: "rough, of a dull light green." Lindley: "dull brown, like that of the Brown Beurré, a little marked with dashes of deeper russet." Hovey: "fair, smooth, yellowish brown, little russeted on the sunny side, and regularly covered with green and russety specks." Elliott: "yellowish brown russet, red in sun, russet dots and patches." Downing: "roughish brown, becoming yellowish brown at maturity, tinged sometimes with a russet red cheek, and sprinkled with spots of russet." Thomas: "yellowish-brown, with a faint russet brown blush." Bunyard: "a little rough. Colour, pale yellowish-green with red-brown flush and russet flecks." Hedrick: "greenish-yellow on the shaded side, reddish-brown on the side of the sun, dotted and marbled with russet, sometimes washed with red." Central Experimental Farm: "yellowish brown and sprinkled with russet."

Flesh / Flavor. Coxe: "the flesh rich, juicy, melting, and sprightly." Lindley: "Flesh white, melting, very sweet, rich and high-flavoured." Hovey: "Flesh, yellowish white, coarse, melting, and very juicy: Flavor, rich, sugary, and delicious, with a fine bergamot perfume." Elliott: "flesh, yellowish white, coarse, melting, juicy; 'very good,' or 'best.'" Downing: "Flesh white, melting, very juicy, rich, sweet, and aromatic. Very good." Thomas: "flesh granular, melting, juicy, rich, sweet, perfumed, with a very good flavor." Bunyard: "Flesh, white, melting, remarkably sweet and richly flavoured; a little gritty." Hedrick: "flesh white, buttery, melting, a little gritty around the core; juice abundant, sugary, vinous, slightly musky and acid; first" [quality]. Central Experimental Farm: "Flesh white, melting, juicy, sweet and rich."

Core / Seeds. Lindley: "Core very small." Hovey: "Core, large: Seeds, small, roundish, pale brown." Elliott: "core, large." Hedrick notes the flesh is "a little gritty around the core."

Season

Coxe: "in perfection about the middle of September," ripening with the Seckle, Beurré, and other fine fruits — and, in his view, "if this pear ripened at another season it would be highly prized," but is less esteemed for competing with them. Lindley: "In the middle of November it comes into eating, and continues in perfection about a month." Hovey: "Ripe in October, and keeps two or three weeks." Elliott: "October." Downing: "Ripens during all September." Thomas: "Ripens through several of the early weeks of autumn." Bunyard: "Dessert, November to December." Hedrick: "Oct. and Nov." Central Experimental Farm (Agassiz, B.C.): "Season September."

Uses

A dessert pear (Bunyard explicitly classes it as "Dessert"). Esteemed by British pomologists as a superior fruit; Lindley ranks it perhaps highest among native English autumnal pears for beauty, excellence, and prolific nature; Elliott rates the flavor "'very good,' or 'best.'" Coxe regards it as "superior to most of the Bergamot tribe."

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Hovey lists the synonyms (per the London Horticultural Society Catalogue, 3rd ed.) as Brocas Bergamot, Ives's Bergamot, Staunton, Gurle's Beurré, Bonne Rouge, and Diamant — these alternate names appear chiefly to clarify identification across the historical literature. Lindley cites Forsyth, Hooker's Pomona Londinensis no. 17, and the Horticultural Society Fruit Catalogue no. 53, and (with a query) Brocas Bergamot at Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 51. Bunyard cites Herefordshire Pomona II., 53, and gives the German name "Rote Dechantsbirne."

Book Sources

Described in 8 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1913) from England, Illinois

View original book sources (9)
  1. BROCA'S BERGAMOT.

This is a very fine pear, superior to most of the Bergamot tribe, but a very uncertain and small bearer; the size is rather larger than the autumn Bergamot, the shape rounder; it is flat at both ends, diminishing a little towards the stem---the skin is rough, of a dull light green; the flesh rich, juicy, melting, and sprightly---the tree is remarkably deficient in vigour of growth, and loses its leaves very early in the season: they fall sometimes as early as the fruit---if this pear ripened at another season it would be highly prized, but ripening with the Seckle, Beurree', and several other fine fruits, it is less esteemed---it is in perfection about the middle of September.

— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)

THE GANSEL'S BERGAMOT PEAR.

Gansel's Bergamot. Forsyth. Hooker's Pomona Lond. no. 17. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 53. ? Brocas Bergamot. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 51.

Among our native English autumnal Pears, this, perhaps, holds the highest rank, whether we consider its beauty, its excellence, or its prolific nature. It was raised by a Lieut.-General Gansel, from seed of the Autumn Bergamot, at Donneland Hall, near Colchester, about the middle of the last century.

It does not bear well as a standard, but yields a tolerably certain crop on an east or south-east wall, in which situation it ripens well. In the middle of November it comes into eating, and continues in perfection about a month.

Sometimes it attains a very large size, having occasionally been seen almost a foot in circumference.

The Wood is weak and flexuose, like that of the Brown Beurré, but is covered with a kind of mealiness, as are also the leaves, by which it is particularly distinguished from all the Beurrés and Chaumontelles.

Leaves shining, flat, rather mealy.

Fruit ovate, very much flattened at the crown, usually 7½ or 8 inches round, of a very regular figure, quite destitute of angles. Stalk short and fleshy, thickening on the back of its bent part. Eye small. Skin dull brown, like that of the Brown Beurré, a little marked with dashes of deeper russet. Flesh white, melting, very sweet, rich and high-flavoured. Core very small.

— John Lindley, Pomologia Britannica, Vol. 1 (1841)

THE GANSELL'S BERGAMOT PEAR.

Gansell's Bergamot. Pomological Magazine, vol. i. pl. 35.

Brocas Bergamot, Ives's Bergamot, Staunton, Gurle's Beurré, Bonne Rouge, Diamant, } According to London Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed.

This fine old pear has been greatly neglected in the rapid introduction of new varieties; and it is not uncommon to find large and choice collections without a single specimen of this kind: indeed, some cultivators, well acquainted with the principal pears that we now possess, scarcely know the Gansell's Bergamot. How it happens that a variety of such excellence, and holding the highest rank in English collections, should have been so much neglected, we are at a loss to imagine; but probably the fact that it is an old pear,—introduced along with the White Doyenne, Brown Beurré, St. Germain, &c., which have long ceased to be generally cultivated on account of the uncertainty of the crop,—is the main reason why its merits have been overlooked.

The Gansell's Bergamot is a pear of English origin, and was obtained from the seed of the Autumn Bergamot, by Lieut. Gen. Gansell, at his seat at Donellan Hall, near Colchester, in 1768. It has consequently been in cultivation nearly a century, and is justly esteemed by British pomologists a superior fruit. At what period it was introduced into American collections, we have been unable to ascertain. Mr. Lowell mentions, among the few sorts cultivated in Massachusetts in 1815, the Brockholst Bergamot, which was undoubtedly this pear. Coxe cultivated it in his collection in New Jersey, and described it in his work (1818) as a "very fine pear." Probably it was introduced many years previous, or about the commencement of the present century.

It has the reputation of being a small bearer, but this does not accord with our experience. True, it is not as prolific as the Bartlett or Buffum, but produces what may be termed a good crop, just enough to keep the tree in fine condition, without the troublesome labor of thinning. The tree has a wild habit, with small bluish green leaves, but by judicious pruning makes a good head. It is rather late in coming into bearing, and does not succeed very well on the quince.

Tree.—Rather irregular and spreading in its growth, the branches horizontal at first, with the ends curved upwards; annual growth, short and rather slender.

Wood.—Grayish olive, dotted with whitish specks, rather slender, and short-jointed; old wood, olive gray; buds, small, short, obtusely ovate, diverging, with rather prominent shoulders: Flower-buds, small, obtusely pointed.

Leaves.—Small, thick, dark bluish green, obovate, cordate at the base, narrowing to the point, wavy, and very slightly serrated; young leaves covered with a kind of mealiness; petioles, stout, one inch long, and rather slender.

Flowers.—Small; petals, roundish obovate, crimped, much cupped; clusters, compact.

Fruit.—Large, about three inches long, and three and a half in diameter: Form, regular, roundish, considerably flattened at each end, and narrowing little towards the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, yellowish brown, little russeted on the sunny side, and regularly covered with green and russety specks: Stem, short, about half an inch long, moderately stout, straight, and deeply inserted in a small round cavity: Eye, medium size, open, and sunk in a large, round, smooth, open basin; segments of the calyx, short and narrow: Flesh, yellowish white, coarse, melting, and very juicy: Flavor, rich, sugary, and delicious, with a fine bergamot perfume: Core, large: Seeds, small, roundish, pale brown.

Ripe in October, and keeps two or three weeks.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Gansel's Bergamot. Broca's Bergamot, | Staunton, | Gurle's Bergère, Ives' Bergamot, | Bonne Rouge, | Diamant. Foreign. An old variety, with few superiors when well grown. It requires a warm, rich soil ; on cold clay it is almost tasteless. Tree, vigorous, spreading, succeeds well on Quince, productive. Fruit, large, roundish obovate, yellowish brown russet, red in sun, russet dots and patches ; stem, short ; cavity, deep ; calyx, open ; basin, deep ; core, large ; flesh, yellowish white, coarse, melting, juicy ; 'very good,' or 'best.' October.

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

Gansel's Bergamotte.

Brocas Bergamot. Ives's Bergamot. Staunton. Bonne Rouge. Gurle's Beurre. Diamant.

Gansel's Bergamotte is an old Pear, raised from seed of the Autumn Bergamotte, by the English Lieutenant-General Gansel, of Donneland Hall. Tree moderately vigorous, spreading in habit, and productive. Young wood dull grayish brown.

Fruit large, roundish obovate, but much flattened. Skin roughish brown, becoming yellowish brown at maturity, tinged sometimes with a russet red cheek, and sprinkled with spots of russet. Stalk short, fleshy at both ends. Cavity moderate. Calyx short and small, placed in a smooth, moderate hollow. Flesh white, melting, very juicy, rich, sweet, and aromatic. Very good. Ripens during all September.

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

Gansel Bergamot. (Brocas Bergamot.) Rather large, sometimes only medium; roundish-oblate, more or less approaching obovate, flattened most at crown; skin yellowish-brown, with a faint russet brown blush; stalk short, half or three-fourths of an inch long, ends often fleshy; cavity and basin smooth; flesh granular, melting, juicy, rich, sweet, perfumed, with a very good flavor. Ripens through several of the early weeks of autumn. Shoots short, dark gray, spreading; leaves flat, mealy. English. Fig. 683.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Bergamot, Gansel's", pp. 784–784]

Bergamot, Gansel's, p. 535.

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

GANSELL'S BERGAMOTTE. Her. Pom., II., 53. G. Rote Dechantsbirne. (Brocas Bergamotte, Bonne Rouge.) Dessert, November to December, fairly large, 2½ by 2½, flattened round. Skin, a little rough. Colour, pale yellowish-green with red-brown flush and russet flecks. Flesh, white, melting, remarkably sweet and richly flavoured; a little gritty. Eye, open in a shallow basin. Stem, medium, fleshy in a moderate deep cavity. Growth, weak, straggling; fertility moderate. Leaf, round oval, entire, undulating. Origin, according to Lindley this was raised by Lt.-Gen. Gansel at Donneland Hill, Colchester, from a seed of Autumn Bergamotte, about 1768. A weak grower, doing best when double grafted. It requires a wall to bring its fruits to perfection.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Gansel Bergamot.

  1. Brookshaw Pomona 2: Pl. L. 1817. 2. Pom. Mag. 1:35, Pl. 1828. Diamant-peer. 3. Knoop Fructologie 1:92, 135. 1771. Bergamote Gansel. 4. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:239, fig. 1867.

Raised from seed of Autumn Bergamot by Lieutenant-General Gansel near Colchester, Eng., in 1768.

Fruit medium, globular-oblate, greenish-yellow on the shaded side, reddish-brown on the side of the sun, dotted and marbled with russet, sometimes washed with red; flesh white, buttery, melting, a little gritty around the core; juice abundant, sugary, vinous, slightly musky and acid; first; Oct. and Nov.

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

Planted Spring 1893. Tree a strong grower. Fruit large, roundish, obovate, flattened. Skin yellowish brown and sprinkled with russet. Flesh white, melting, juicy, sweet and rich. Season September.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)
Bergamot Bergamot, Gansel's Bergamote Gansel Bergamote Gansel's Bergamote Ives Bergamote d'Angleterre Bergamote de Gansei Bergamote de Gansel Beurre Rouge Bonne Rouge Broca's Bergamot Brocas Bergamot Brocas Bergamotte Brockholst Bergamot Diamant Diamant-peer Doyenne Rouge GANSELL'S BERGAMOTTE Gansel Bergamot Gansel's Gansel's Bergamot Gansel's Bergamotte Gansell's Bergamot Gurle's Bergère Gurle's Beurre Gurle's Beurré Ives' Bergamot Ives's Bergamot Joe's Bergamot Rote Bergamotte Rote Dechantsbirne Rote Herbst Butterbirne Rotgraue Dechantsbirne Staunton Yve's Bergamot Gansel's Bergamotte Ives' Bergamot