Jean de Witte
PearOrigin/History
Raised at Brussels early in the nineteenth century by M. Witzthumb, director of the Botanical Garden (Hedrick). Listed as Nos. 1,482, 1,082, and 1,602 of Van Mons (Elliott). Described as of foreign origin (Elliott).
Tree
Vigorous, upright grower with young shoots very dark olive (Downing). Elliott describes the tree as moderate growth, with short-jointed wood, upright.
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Thomas). Hedrick describes it as below but sometimes up to medium. Elliott says medium or above.
Form: Roundish obovate pyriform (Downing). Globular or turbinate, irregular, surface bossed and undulated (Hedrick). Obovate, narrowing to the stem (Elliott). Flattened, obovate (Thomas).
Stem: Stalk long, curved, inclined, set in a small cavity (Downing). Stalk short, slightly sunk (Thomas).
Cavity: Small (Downing). Slightly sunk (Thomas).
Calyx: Open, with stiff segments (Downing). Closed (Thomas).
Basin: Rather abrupt (Downing). Small (Thomas).
Skin: Yellowish green, dotted, sprinkled, and netted with russet, and slightly shaded with fawn or crimson in the sun (Downing). Greenish, dotted and marbled with a more or less gray-russet (Hedrick). Pale yellow, little russet (Elliott). Yellowish green, partly russeted (Thomas).
Flesh and Flavor: White, juicy, melting, sweet, pleasant; good to very good (Downing). White, semi-fine, melting, extremely juicy, sugary, perfumed, with a buttery flavor, quite delicious; rated first quality (Hedrick). Melting, juicy, vinous, slightly sub-acid; rated "very good" (Elliott). White, juicy, melting, sweet, rich (Thomas).
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November, December (Downing). December (Hedrick, Thomas). November to January (Elliott).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Jean de Witte.
Dial. Beurre de Hamptienne. Passe Colmar Francois.
Tree vigorous, upright grower. Young shoots very dark olive.
Fruit medium, roundish obovate pyriform, yellowish green, dotted, sprinkled, and netted with russet, and slightly shaded with fawn or crimson in the sun. Stalk long, curved, inclined, set in a small cavity. Calyx open. Segments stiff. Basin rather abrupt. Flesh white, juicy, melting, sweet, pleasant. Good to very good. November, December.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Jean de Witte.
- Mag. Hart. 7:286. 1841. 2. Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:307, fig. 1869. Passe Colmar Francois. 3. Ann. Pom. Belge 8:7, fig. 1860. Raised at Brussels early in the nineteenth century by M. Witzthumb, director of the Botanical Garden. Fruit below but sometimes up to medium, globular or turbinate, irregular, surface bossed and undulated, greenish, dotted and marbled with a more or less gray-russet; flesh white, semi-fine, melting, extremely juicy, sugary, perfumed, with a buttery flavor, quite delicious; first; Dec.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Jean de Witte.
Nos. 1,482, 1,082, and 1,602 of Van Mons.
Foreign. Tree, moderate growth, short-jointed wood, upright. Fruit, medium or above, obovate, narrowing to the stem, pale yellow, little russet ; flesh, melting, juicy, vinous, slightly sub-acid ; "very good." November to January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Jean de Witte. Size medium, flattened, obovate; stalk short, slightly sunk; basin small, calyx closed; skin yellowish green, partly russeted; flesh white, juicy, melting, sweet, rich. December.