Huyshe's Prince Consort
PearHuyshe's Prince Consort
Origin/History
Raised by the Rev. John Huyshe of Devon, England — Downing gives his seat as Clythesdon, Devon; Hedrick gives Cullompton, Devon — from seed of Beurré d'Aremberg fertilized by Passe Colmar. Hedrick records that the variety first fruited in 1864. Downing notes it is one of a series of four new pears originated by Mr. Huyshe, all said to be of superior excellence. Hedrick cites Journal of Horticulture 12:89, fig. 72 (1862) and Bunyard, Handbook of Hardy Fruits 180 (1920).
Tree
A vigorous grower, with short-jointed young shoots of a dark dull reddish brown and indistinct white specks (Downing). Not further described in other sources.
Fruit
Size: Conflicting across sources. Downing calls it large; Hedrick calls it very large; Thomas calls it medium.
Form: Downing describes it as oblong obovate pyriform. Hedrick describes it as oblong, uneven and bossed in outline. Thomas describes it as pyriform.
Stem: Long and stout (Downing). Not described in Hedrick or Thomas.
Calyx: Small, open (Downing). Not described in other sources.
Basin: Deep, uneven (Downing). Not described in other sources.
Skin: Downing describes the color as grass green, much covered with russet and russet dots. Hedrick agrees on grass-green as the base color but adds that it becomes sometimes yellowish-green, and describes the surface as thickly covered with large russet dots. Thomas gives the color simply as greenish-yellow.
Flesh and Flavor: Sources are in partial agreement with some divergence on texture. Downing describes the flesh as yellowish, coarse-grained, juicy, melting, sweet, vinous, with a peculiar flavor unlike any other pear. Hedrick describes the flesh as yellow with a greenish tinge, melting, rather crisp, very juicy, sweet, vinous, with a very powerful and peculiar flavor unlike any other pear, calling it a first quality, delicious fruit. Thomas describes the flesh as buttery, a little coarse, and half melting. On texture specifically: Downing says coarse-grained and melting; Hedrick says melting and rather crisp; Thomas says buttery, a little coarse, and half melting — the three accounts diverge on whether the texture is fully melting or only partially so. Downing and Hedrick agree on the distinctive vinous flavor and on characterizing its taste as unlike any other pear.
Core/Seeds: Not described in any source.
Season
November (all three sources agree).
Uses
Thomas rates it very good. Hedrick rates it first quality and delicious. Not further described as to culinary use.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in any source.
Other
Not described in any source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1911) from England
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Huyshe's Prince Consort.
Raised by Rev. John Huyshe, of Clythesdon, Devon, England, from seed of Beurré d'Aremberg, fertilized by Passe Colmar. This is one of a series of four new Pears, originated by Mr. Huyshe, all of which are said to be of superior excellence. The tree is a vigorous grower, with short-jointed young shoots of a dark dull reddish brown, and indistinct white specks. Hogg describes the fruit as large, oblong obovate pyriform, grass green, much covered with russet and russet dots. Stalk long, stout. Calyx small, open. Basin deep, uneven. Flesh yellowish, coarse-grained, juicy, melting, sweet, vinous, with a peculiar flavor unlike any other pear. November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Huyshe Prince Consort.
- Jour. Hort. 12:89, fig. 72. 1862.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 180. 1920.
Fruited in 1864 by the Rev. John Huyshe of Cullompton, Devon, Eng., from Beurré d'Arenberg fertilised by Passe Colmar. Fruit very large, oblong, uneven and bossed in outline, grass-green becoming sometimes yellowish-green, thickly covered with large russet dots; flesh yellow, with a greenish tinge, melting, rather crisp, very juicy, sweet, vinous, with a very powerful and peculiar flavor unlike any other pear; a first quality, delicious fruit; Nov.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Huyshe's Prince Consort. Medium, pyriform, greenish-yellow; buttery, a little coarse, half melting; very good. November. English. New.