Hericart
PearHericart
Origin / History
A pear of foreign origin (Elliott), described by Downing as Belgian. Manning and Kenrick received cions of Hericart in 1834 and 1835 from Van Mons of Belgium (Hedrick). The variety is recorded in the Magazine of Horticulture in 1842. The American Pomological Society placed it on its list of rejected fruits in 1854 (Hedrick). Downing calls it "a second-rate Belgian Pear." Elliott thought more of it, judging that it improves with age of trees.
Tree
Very vigorous and productive (Downing). Elliott writes, "we think it improves with age of trees."
Fruit
Size: Medium to large: medium (Downing), large (Elliott).
Form: Obovate, often rather oblong and irregular (Downing). Elliott gives obtuse pyriform.
Stem: Long, slender to rather slender, an inch or more long.
Cavity: Small.
Calyx: Small, segments reflexed (Elliott).
Basin: Shallow.
Skin: Yellow, light pale greenish yellow (Elliott). Russety or partly russeted, with russet patches.
Dots: Russet (Elliott).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, juicy, buttery, not rich, gritty (often gritty, Thomas), slightly astringent. Juice pleasant and perfumed, with a delicate, peculiar aroma or peculiar aromatic flavor. Downing calls the flesh fine-grained and buttery; Elliott calls it rather coarse and breaking, and very sweet. Downing rates it "Good." Elliott rates it "very good" and says "Some specimens we have had of this proved almost best."
Core and seeds: Core small; seeds long (Elliott).
Season
Early autumn, in September. Downing gives the last of September; Elliott gives early September.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1845–1849) from Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Hericart. Foreign. Fruit, large, obtuse pyriform, light pale greenish yellow, russet dots and patches; stem, long, slender; calyx, small; segments, reflexed: core, small; seeds, long; flesh, rather coarse, breaking, juicy, very sweet; "very good." Early September. Some specimens we have had of this proved almost best; we think it improves with age of trees.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Hericart.
A second-rate Belgian Pear, with a pleasant, perfumed juice, ripening early in autumn. Tree very vigorous and productive.
Fruit of medium size, obovate, often rather oblong and irregular, yellow and russety. Stalk an inch or more long, rather slender, set in a small cavity. Calyx set in a shallow basin. Flesh white, fine-grained, buttery, not rich, but with a delicate, peculiar aroma, gritty, and slightly astringent. Good. The fruit ripens the last of September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Hericart. Medium, obovate, somewhat oblong and irregular, yellow, partly russeted; stalk slender, an inch or more long; cavity small, basin shallow; flesh fine-grained, buttery, often gritty and slightly astringent, not rich, but with a peculiar aromatic flavor. End of September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Hericart.
- Mag. Hort. 8:87. 1842. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 783. 1869.
Cions of this variety were received in 1834 and 1835 by Manning and Kenrick from Van Mons of Belgium. It was placed on the list of rejected fruits by the American Pomological Society in 1854.
Tree vigorous and productive.
Fruit medium, obovate, often rather oblong, yellow, russety; stem medium long, rather slender, set in a small cavity; basin shallow; flesh white, fine-grained, buttery, not rich, peculiarly aromatic, gritty, slightly astringent; good; Sept.