Henry the Fourth
PearHenry the Fourth
Origin/History
A French pear, known under several names including Henri Quatre, Jaquin, Favori Musqué du Conseiller, Beurre Ananas, Ananas, and Poire Ananas.
Tree
Hardy and a good bearer. Downing describes the tree as a good grower and productive, with young wood dull yellow brown and many specks. Elliott describes the young shoots as diverging and yellowish brown.
Fruit
Size and Form: Downing gives the size as below medium; Elliott gives it as small. Both agree on a roundish pyriform shape.
Skin: Pale greenish yellow (Downing) or greenish yellow (Elliott), dotted with small gray specks (Downing) or small gray dots (Elliott).
Stem: Long and slender. Downing specifies rather more than an inch long. Elliott adds that it is swollen at the base.
Calyx: Small.
Basin: Shallow and abrupt (Downing). Not described in Elliott.
Flesh and Flavor: Whitish. Downing describes the flesh as not very fine-grained but unusually juicy and melting, with a rich, delicately perfumed flavor. Elliott concurs on texture and juiciness, describing it as rather coarse and juicy, without noting the perfumed flavor. Downing notes it should always be ripened in the house.
Season
Early September.
Uses
Quality rated Good to Very Good (Downing) or Good (Elliott). Best ripened indoors before eating (Downing).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Henry the Fourth
Henri Quatre. Jaquin. Favori Musqué du Conseiller. Beurre Ananas. Ananas.
The tree of this French Pear is a good grower, hardy and productive, young wood dull yellow brown, with many specks.
Fruit below medium size, roundish pyriform, pale greenish yellow, dotted with small gray specks. Stalk rather more than an inch long, slender. Calyx small, placed in a shallow abrupt basin. Flesh whitish, not very fine-grained, but unusually juicy and melting, with a rich, delicately perfumed flavor. It should always be ripened in the house.
Good to very good. Early in September.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Henry the Fourth. Ananas, | Beurre Ananas, | Jaquin. Poire Ananas; | Henri Quatre, | Foreign. Tree, hardy, good bearer, young shoots diverging, yellowish brown. Fruit, small, roundish pyriform, greenish yellow, with small gray dots : stem, long, slender, swollen at base ; calyx, small ; flesh, whitish, rather coarse, juicy ; " good." Early September.