THE HENKEL PEAR.

Henkel. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xiii. 1847.

The Henkel is another of the fine pears introduced as long ago as 1835 or 1836, by Messrs. Kenrick and Manning, who received scions of it, with other sorts, from Dr. Van Mons, of which we have already made mention in our first volume; and it appears to be wholly confined to American collections. True, there is a Henkel d'hiver, in the French and Belgian catalogues, of recent date; but as that is a winter pear, it cannot be referred to our Henkel. It may, however, come up hereafter under a new name; for all the fine seedlings remaining in Van Mons's nursery, at his death, are being introduced as rapidly as they show their fruit. The Henkel is also another of the new pears which has rapidly improved upon acquaintance and under good cultivation. Mr. Manning, the younger, first sent us specimens of it from his extensive collection, in 1846, from which we gave an engraving as above quoted; the same outline we now introduce on the next page, as it gives the true shape of this variety; but our colored plate is an exact representation of the size, form and beauty of one of a number of specimens produced on our own trees in 1853; being, indeed, a very showy pear, and as remarkable for its excellence as for its other qualities, comparing favorably with any variety of its season. Of its origin we have no other information than that it was sent here by Dr. Van Mons, and is, undoubtedly, one of his numerous seedlings. Although the scions were received in 1835 or 1836, it probably did not fruit during the life-time of the late Mr. Manning, as it was never mentioned by him among more than four hundred pears, which he, from time to time, described in the Magazine of Horticulture. It is rather late in coming into bearing, and this accounts for the long period which elapsed before it was brought to the notice of cultivators. The tree is a vigorous grower, with a very erect or fastigiate habit, similar to the Buffum, and with a very marked peculiarity of foliage and growth. We have had no experience with it upon the quince, and cannot say whether it is one of the sorts which will succeed on that stock or not.

Tree.—Vigorous, with a very erect pyramidal habit, making stout, straight, annual shoots.

Wood.—Clear olive, dotted with large grayish specks, rather long-jointed, stout; old wood, grayish olive; buds, large, ovate, pointed, nearly erect, with prominent shoulders: Flower-buds, medium size. Leaves.—Medium size, oblong ovate, narrowing to each end, thin, dark green, slightly recurved on the mid-rib, folded inwards on the sides and slightly and obtusely serrated; petioles very long, from two to two and a half inches in length, stout. Flowers.—Medium size; petals roundish, cupped. Fruit.—Large, about three inches long, and three and a quarter in diameter: Form, obovate, slightly uneven on the surface, broad at the crown, and obtuse at the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, lemon yellow, more or less covered with small patches of russet, interspersed with dull green specks and dotted with russet: Stem, very long, about two inches in length, stout, usually having two bud-like prominences on each side, curved, and slightly inserted in a small contracted cavity: Eye, medium size, open, and slightly sunk in a very shallow, uneven basin; segments of the calyx short and round: Flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse, melting, and exceedingly juicy: Flavor, rich, sprightly, vinous, perfumed and delicious: Core, medium size: Seeds, large, broad and deep brown. Ripe in September, and keeps two or three weeks.

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

Henkel.

Foreign. Tree, fine grower, young shoots, grayish brown : an early, very productive bearer on pear roots ; valuable for orcharding. Fruit, large obovate, somewhat obtuse pyriform, dull yellow, patches of russet and green specks ; stem, long, curved ; calyx, open ; segments, short ; basin, uneven ; core, medium ; flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse, juicy, vinous : "very good." Early September.

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

Henkel.

Cumberland of Belgium.

One of Van Mons' seedlings. Growth vigorous, upright, productive. Young wood dull grayish brown.

Fruit rather large, broad obtuse pyriform, greenish yellow, netted and patched with russet, and sprinkled with green and brown dots. Stalk inclined, rather stout, fleshy at insertion by a ring or lip. Calyx partially open. Segments short, stiff, sometimes reflexed. Basin rather large, slightly uneven, russeted. Flesh whitish, juicy, melting, with a rich, slightly vinous flavor. Very good to best. September.

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

Henkel. Medium or rather large, round-obovate, remotely pyriform, with a very short neck, obtuse; surface yellow, often a clear pale yellow, sometimes partly russeted; stalk an inch and a half long, slightly sunk; basin small, even; flesh yellowish-white, buttery, melting, juicy, sprightly, fine, sometimes only second-rate. Shoots long, slender, erect, yellowish-brown; leaves small. Belgian.

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

Henkel. 1. Mag. Hort. 13:61, fig. 5. 1847. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 781, fig. 1869. Henkel d'Automne. 3. Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:272, fig. 1869.

Van Mons raised this pear before 1834 and in 1835 or 1836 it was introduced at Boston by Kenrick and Manning. This is the Cumberland of the Belgians. Fruit rather large, broad-obtuse-pyriform, greenish-yellow, netted and patched with russet, sprinkled with green and brown dots; stem rather stout, inclined, inserted by a ring or lip; calyx partially open; flesh whitish, juicy, melting, rich, slightly vinous; very good to best; Sept.

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