Léon Leclerc (Van Mons)
Pear
LÉON LECLERC (VAN MONS) Pear
Origin & History
This pear was developed by M. Léon Leclerc, a distinguished pomologist living at Laval, France, who dedicated it to his friend Jean-Baptiste-Alphonse Van Mons, a renowned pear breeder. The variety first fruited in 1828. Leclerc initially gave it the name Van Mons Léon Leclerc, by which appellation most historical authors know it; it is also documented as Van Mons Butterbirne in German sources.
Historical identity confusion: Van Mons himself raised a different pear in 1816 which he dedicated to Léon Leclerc; the proper name of that pear is Léon Leclerc de Laval. A third distinct variety, Léon Leclerc de Louvain, also exists. These three should not be conflated.
The variety was introduced to America prior to 1843 by Marshall P. Wilder and gained considerable initial praise. A century ago (circa 1820s–1840s), it was being heralded throughout Europe as the best of all pears. The American Pomological Society added it to its fruit-catalog in 1862 but removed it in 1869. The variety remains popular in Europe, though its reputation in America has not been sustained.
Tree Character
Habit and form: Medium in size, vigorous, spreading, with an open-topped structure and productive bearing. The trunk is shaggy. Branches are roughish and reddish-brown, overspread with heavy, dull scarf-skin bearing conspicuous, numerous, and large lenticels. Branchlets are very slender and curved with short internodes; they are light brown streaked with gray and tinged with green, dull, smooth, and glabrous, with numerous small, conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Buds: Leaf-buds are very small, short, pointed, and appressed. Flower-buds are small, short, conical, and plump, borne freely and singly on short spurs.
Leaves: 1⅜ inches long and ¾ inch wide, leathery in texture. Apex is taper-pointed; margin is glandless and entire. Petiole is 1½ inches long, glabrous, and reddish-green.
Flowers: Showy, 1¼ inches across, borne in dense racemes with 7 or 8 buds in a cluster. Pedicels are ⅞ inch long and pubescent.
Growth: Trees are quite up to average in all characters whether grown on pear or quince stock. The variety is said to prefer a rich, deep soil.
Fruit
Size and form: Large pears measuring 3⅛ inches long and 2½ inches wide. Shape is oblong-pyriform, distinctly tapering to a very long, narrow neck.
Stem: 1 inch long, thick, and curved.
Cavity: Very small, compressed, usually lipped.
Calyx: Large and open; lobes are separated at the base, broad, and acute. Basin is shallow, narrow, obtuse, and symmetrical.
Skin: Thick and tough, roughened by russet specks. Ground color is dull yellow, covered with dots and tracings of russet, and occasionally with a faint russet-red blush. Dots are numerous, small, russet, and conspicuous.
Flesh: Granular immediately under the skin, nearly melting in texture, juicy, subacid or with a peculiar sprightliness that is refreshing. Quality is good.
Core: Large and closed, with clasping core-lines. Calyx-tube is short, narrow, and conical. Seeds are large, wide, long, and acute.
Season & Ripening
Fruit ripens in late September and October, filling a particular niche in the pear season between late fall and early winter at a time when few other good varieties are available.
Characteristics & Uses
Well-grown specimens on standard or quince stock often produce pears as large as those of Duchesse d'Angoulême, with which they compare rather closely in shape. On well-grown specimens, the color is rich and beautiful. The flavor is sprightly and refreshing, which combined with the good flesh-characters, gives the variety high rank for quality.
Primary fault: The variety exhibits great susceptibility to the scab fungus, affecting both fruit and foliage. After Flemish Beauty, no other pear variety suffers as severely from scab in America, making this a serious limitation.
Suitability: The variety is suitable only for collections and specialized purposes due to scab susceptibility. It deserves a place among major varieties primarily because it fills the particular gap in the pear season rather than for universal desirability.
Sources cited: Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt. (1843); Downing Fr. Trees Am. (1845); Hovey Fr. Am. (1851); Ann. Pom. Belge (1857); Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. (1862); Pom. France (1863); Jour. Hort. (1866, 1880); Mas Le Verger (1866–73); Leroy Dict. Pom. (1869); Lauche Deut. Pom. (1883); Mathieu Nom. Pom. (1889); Cat. Cong. Pom. France (1906).
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)LÉON LECLERC (VAN MONS)
- Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 3. 1843. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 419, fig. 192. 1845. 3. Hovey Fr. Am. 1:9, Pl. 1851. 4. Ann. Pom. Belge 5:51, Pl. 1857. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 70. 1862. 6. Pom. France 1: No. 29, Pl. 29. 1863. 7. Jour. Hort. N. S. 10:366. 1866. 8. Mas Le Verger 3: Pt. 1, 127, fig. 62. 1866-73. 9. Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:722, fig. 1869. 10. Jour. Hort. 3rd Ser. 1:573, fig. 103. 1880. 11. Cat. Cong. Pom. France 361, fig. 1906.
Van Mons Butterbirne. 12. Lauche Deut. Pom. II: No. 65, Pl. 65. 1883. 13. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 292. 1889.
A century ago this pear was being heralded in Europe as the best of all pears, and shortly afterward was introduced into the United States with highest praise. The variety is still popular in Europe, but its reputation there is not sustained here. The pear deserves a place among major varieties only because it fills a particular niche in the pear season, the crop coming in season between late fall and early winter at a time when there are few other good varieties. Were it not for one serious fault, however, the variety might take high rank in America. The fault is great susceptibility to the scab fungus. After Flemish Beauty, no other variety suffers as much both in fruit and foliage. Well grown in a congenial environment, on standard or quince stock, the pears are often as large as those of Duchesse d'Angoulême, with which they compare rather closely in shape. On well-grown specimens, also, the color is rich and beautiful. The flavor is sprightly and refreshing, which, with good flesh-characters, give the variety high rank for quality. There are no remarkable characters in the trees to recommend them, although they are quite up to the average in all characters either on pear or quince stocks. They are said to prefer a rich, deep soil. The variety is suitable only for collections.
This pear was obtained by M. Léon Leclerc, a distinguished pomologist living at Laval, France, who dedicated it to his friend Van Mons. Desiring to couple his own name with that of his friend, he gave it the name of Van Mons Léon Leclerc, by which appellation it has been known by most authors. The variety first fruited in 1828. There has been a good deal of confusion as to the identity of this pear, owing to the fact that Van Mons raised a pear in 1816 which he dedicated to Léon Leclerc. The proper name of the latter pear is Léon Leclerc de Laval. There is also a Léon Leclerc de Louvain. The variety under discussion was fruited in this country previous to 1843 by Marshall P. Wilder. The American Pomological Society added the variety to its fruit-catalog in 1862 but dropped it in 1869.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, productive; trunk shaggy; branches roughish, reddish-brown, overspread with heavy, dull scarf-skin, with conspicuous, numerous, large lenticels; branchlets very slender and curved, short, with short internodes, light brown streaked with gray and tinged with green, dull, smooth, glabrous, with numerous small, conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 1⅜ in. long, ¾ in. wide, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin glandless, entire; petiole 1½ in. long, glabrous, reddish-green. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, singly on short spurs; flowers showy, 1¼ in. across, in dense racemes, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels ⅞ in. long, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late September and October; large, 3⅛ in. long, 2½ in. wide, oblong-pyriform, tapering to a very long, narrow neck; stem 1 in. long, thick, curved; cavity very small, compressed, usually lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, broad, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, roughened by russet specks; color dull yellow, covered with dots and tracings of russet and occasionally with a faint russet-red blush; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh granular under the skin, nearly melting, juicy, subacid or with a peculiar sprightliness; quality good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, narrow, conical; seeds large, wide, long, acute.