Henry the Fourth
PearHenry the Fourth
Origin/History
Foreign (French) pear (Elliott; Downing). According to Hedrick, on the authority of Diel, this pear was originated by M. de Witzthumb before 1815, and was afterward described by the Vicomte Vilain XIV, mayor of Ghent under Napoleon I. Hedrick cites earlier notices in Magazine of Horticulture 12:173, 175 (1846), Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie 2:277, fig. (1869), and Downing's Fruit Trees of America 782 (1869).
Tree
Hardy and a good bearer (Elliott); a good grower, hardy, and productive (Downing); very productive (Thomas). Young shoots diverging or spreading, yellowish brown (Elliott, Thomas); Downing describes the young wood as dull yellow brown, with many specks.
Fruit
Size and Form
Small (Elliott); below medium size (Downing); rather small (Thomas); below medium (Hedrick). Roundish pyriform (Elliott, Downing); round-obovate, somewhat turbinate (Thomas); obtuse-pyriform, rather variable, often contorted and always has one side larger than the other (Hedrick).
Stem
Long, slender, swollen at base (Elliott). Stalk rather more than an inch long, slender (Downing). Stalk an inch and a fourth long, slender, usually fleshy at insertion, not sunk (Thomas).
Cavity
Not sunk (Thomas). Otherwise not described in source.
Calyx
Small (Elliott, Downing); closed (Thomas).
Basin
Shallow, abrupt (Downing, Thomas).
Skin
Greenish yellow, with small gray dots (Elliott). Pale greenish yellow, dotted with small gray specks (Downing). Surface greenish-yellow, often somewhat russeted, sometimes with a dark reddish-brown cheek (Thomas). Greenish-white, becoming deep lemon-yellow as it reaches maturity, much covered with fine cinnamon-russet on which are small greenish dots (Hedrick).
Flesh and Flavor
Whitish, rather coarse, juicy; "good" (Elliott). Whitish, not very fine-grained, but unusually juicy and melting, with a rich, delicately perfumed flavor; good to very good (Downing). Juicy, melting, rich, perfumed, mostly first-rate flavor (Thomas). Yellowish, coarse or semi-fine, breaking, gritty at center, very rich, sweet, juicy and with an aromatic flavor; good (Hedrick).
Core/Seeds
Gritty at center (Hedrick). Otherwise not described in source.
Season
Early September (Elliott, Downing). Early in autumn (Thomas). October (Hedrick).
Uses
Should always be ripened in the house (Downing); needs house-ripening (Thomas).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas references Fig. 679 as an illustration accompanying his entry. Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie 2:277 (1869) is cited by Hedrick as including a figure.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— 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.
— 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.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Henry IV. (Ananas, Henri Quatre.) Rather small, round-obovate, somewhat turbinate; surface greenish-yellow, often somewhat russeted, sometimes a dark reddish-brown cheek; stalk an inch and a fourth long, slender, usually fleshy at insertion, not sunk; basin shallow, abrupt; calyx closed; flesh juicy, melting, rich, perfumed, mostly first-rate flavor. Needs house-ripening. Early in autumn. Shoots diverging or spreading, yellowish-brown. Very productive. Fig. 679.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Henri Quatre", pp. 793–793]
Henri Quatre. See Henry IV.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Henri Quatre.
- Mag. Hort. 12:173, 175. 1846.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:277, fig. 1869.
Henry the Fourth. 3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 782. 1869.
On the authority of Diel it appears that this pear was originated by M. de Witzthumb before 1815, and was afterward described by the Vicomte Vilain XIV, mayor of Ghent under Napoleon I. Fruit below medium, obtuse-pyriform, rather variable, often contorted and always has one side larger than the other, greenish-white, becoming deep lemon-yellow as it reaches maturity, much covered with fine cinnamon-russet on which are small greenish dots; flesh yellowish, coarse or semi-fine, breaking, gritty at center, very rich, sweet, juicy and with an aromatic flavor; good; Oct.