Jaminette
PearJaminette
Origin / History
Foreign; a pear of Metz, in France. Downing says it was raised by M. Jaminette, of Metz. Hedrick gives it as from a seedling in the garden of M. Pyrolle early in the nineteenth century. Hedrick cites Kenrick, Am. Orch. (1832), and Pom. France (1865). Downing calls it in favorable seasons an excellent winter fruit. Elliott calls it "one of the best of Winter Pears."
Tree
Vigorous (Elliott). Thomas calls it a very strong grower on the quince. Shoots erect, diverging, somewhat reddish-green (Thomas). Downing gives the young wood as dull yellow brown. Not an early bearer, per Elliott, though "this has proved with us, for two years past, a great bearer." Downing calls it very productive.
Fruit
Size: Medium to large. Most authors give above medium, or medium to rather large; Hedrick alone gives medium.
Form: Varying. Mostly obovate, a good deal narrower at the stalk; obovate-pyriform approaching obovate, obtuse. Hedrick gives turbinate-obtuse. Thomas notes a broad crown, and says small specimens are roundish-turbinate.
Stem: Stout to rather thick, three-fourths of an inch to scarcely an inch long. Downing gives it as obliquely planted.
Cavity: Little or none; the stalk set without any depression.
Calyx: Open. Thomas calls it small, erect, stiff.
Basin: Round, even, of moderate depth.
Skin: Green, clear green, becoming paler at maturity; yellowish-green to pale yellowish-green. The skin bears patches of russety brown and some brownish-russet, considerably so especially near the stalk (Downing). Hedrick describes it as dotted and reticulated all over with gray-russet.
Dots: Numerous, russety brown, often confluent (Thomas).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, rather gritty or a little gritty at the core; Hedrick gives it as yellowish and semi-fine. Juicy to very juicy, buttery, melting; Hedrick calls it semi-melting. Sweet, sugary, of good flavor. Hedrick calls it vinous and aromatic on light soils, but insipid and without perfume on clayey and humid land. Quality "good" (Elliott) to "good to very good" (Downing); Hedrick rates it "first."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Late autumn and early winter, November to January; Elliott gives November and December.
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 5 catalogs (1845–1900) from Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Josephine
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Josephine
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855 — listed as Josephine
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Jaminette.
Josephine, | Sabine, | Beurré D'Austrasie, Colmar Jaminette, | D'Austrasie, | Wilhelmine.
Foreign. Tree, vigorous, not an early bearer. Fruit, above medium, obovate obtuse pyriform, green, with russety brown dots and patches: stem, stout; calyx, open; flesh, white, rather gritty at core, juicy, sweet; "good." November, December. This has proved with us, for two years past, a great bearer, and one of the best of Winter Pears.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Jaminette.
Sabine. Wilhelmine. Bergamotte Cheminette. D'Austrasie. Josephine. Sabine Van Mons. Beurre d'Austrasie. Colmar Jaminette. Beurre Saint Helier. Belle d'Austrasie. Crassane d'Austrasie. Tyrolle.
Raised by M. Jaminette, of Metz, very productive, and in favorable seasons an excellent winter fruit. Young wood dull yellow brown.
Fruit of medium or large size, varying in form, but mostly obovate, a good deal narrower at the stalk, clear green, paler at maturity, considerably marked with russety brown, especially near the stalk, and sprinkled with numerous brown dots. Stalk scarcely an inch long, rather thick, and obliquely planted, without any depression. Calyx open, set in a basin of moderate depth. Flesh white, a little gritty near the core, but very juicy and buttery, sweet. Good to very good. November to January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Jaminette. (Josephine.) Medium or rather large, obovate-pyriform, approaching obovate, small specimens roundish-turbinate, varying; crown broad; skin yellowish-green, with some brownish-russet, dots numerous, often confluent; stalk three-fourths to an inch long, thick; cavity little or none; calyx small, erect, stiff; basin round, even, flesh juicy, melting, buttery, sweet, of good flavor. Late autumn and early winter. Shoots somewhat reddish-green, erect, diverging. Origin, Metz, in France. A very strong grower on the quince.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Jaminette.
- Kenrick Am. Orch. 195. 1832. 2. Pom. France 5: No. 116, Pl. 116. 1865.
From a seedling in the garden of M. Pyrolle early in the nineteenth century. Fruit medium, turbinate-obtuse, pale yellowish-green, dotted and reticulated all over with gray-russet; flesh yellowish, semi-fine and semi-melting, very juicy, sugary, vinous and aromatic on light soils, but insipid and without perfume on clayey and humid land; first; Nov. to Jan.