Louise Bonne de Jersey
PearLouise Bonne de Jersey
Origin / History
An old French winter pear (Downing). Merlet, the French pomologist, was the first to write of this pear, in 1675 (Hedrick). Country of origin: France (Thomas).
Tree
Shoots dark brown or purple; serratures of the leaves rather coarse (Thomas). Very productive; succeeds admirably and is mostly grown on quince stocks (Thomas). Noted for free upright growth and great productiveness (Thomas).
Fruit
Size
Large (Elliott, Downing, Thomas); above medium per Hedrick.
Form
Pyriform (Elliott, Downing, Thomas). Downing notes it is "a little rounded towards the stalk." Thomas describes it as tapering slightly to an obtuse or flattened crown, and slightly one-sided. Hedrick reports the form as variable: "ovate-obtuse and swelled in lower half, or long-pyriform, narrowed toward the stalk."
Stem / Stalk
Stalk an inch to an inch and a half long, often fleshy at insertion, little sunk (Thomas).
Cavity
Little sunk at the stalk (Thomas). Not otherwise described.
Calyx
Not described in source.
Basin
Shallow (Thomas).
Skin
Surface smooth (Downing, Thomas). Pale green (Elliott, Downing); pale yellowish-green with a brownish red cheek (Thomas). Hedrick describes the skin as thick, smooth, bright green changing as it ripens to yellowish-green, strewed with small dots and some markings of russet.
Flesh / Flavor
Flesh white, rather coarse-grained, melting, sweet; quality "Good" (Downing). Yellowish-white, very juicy, buttery, melting, rich, faintly sub-acid, fine (Thomas). Greenish-white, coarse, semi-melting, gritty at center, juicy, only slightly saccharine, generally sweetish and deficient in perfume (Hedrick). Thomas notes that, like the Bartlett, it is hardly of the highest quality, but is eminently valuable for its large, fair fruit. Hedrick rates it as variable for dessert, but first for compotes.
Core / Seeds
Hedrick notes the flesh is gritty at the center. Otherwise not described.
Season
December (Elliott, Downing, Hedrick). Thomas: ripens mid-autumn; late autumn far North, early autumn at Cincinnati.
Uses
Dessert and culinary; variable for dessert but first for compotes (Hedrick). Valued commercially for its large, fair fruit and great productiveness (Thomas).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas marks the variety with an asterisk (*) in his text and includes it as Fig. 704.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921) — listed as Louise-Bonne
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Louise Bonne
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Louise Bonne
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Louise Bonne
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Louise Bonne. Louise Bonne Real, | St. Germain Blanc. Foreign. Large, pyriform, pale green. December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Louise Bonne.
Louise Bonne Real. St. Germain Blanc.
An old French winter Pear.
Fruit large, pyriform, a little rounded towards the stalk, smooth, pale green. Flesh white, rather coarse-grained, melting, sweet. Good. December.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Louise Bonne.* (Louise Bonne de Jersey, Louise Bonne d'Avranches.) Large, pyriform, tapering slightly to obtuse or flattened crown; slightly one-sided; surface smooth, pale yellowish-green, with a brownish red cheek; stalk an inch to an inch and a half long, often fleshy at insertion, little sunk; basin shallow; flesh yellowish-white, very juicy, buttery, melting, rich, faintly sub-acid, fine. Ripens mid-autumn; late autumn far North, early autumn at Cincinnati. Very productive; succeeds admirably and is mostly grown on quince stocks. Shoots dark brown or purple; serratures of the leaves rather coarse. This fine variety, like the Bartlett, is hardly of the highest quality, but is eminently valuable for its large, fair fruit, free upright growth, and great productiveness. France. Fig. 704.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Louise-Bonne,
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:357, fig. 1869. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 606. 1884. Merlet the French pomologist was the first to write of this pear in 1675. Fruit above medium, variable in form, ovate-obtuse and swelled in lower half, or long-pyriform, narrowed toward the stalk; skin thick, smooth, bright green changing as it ripens to yellowish-green, strewed with small dots and some markings of russet; flesh greenish-white, coarse, semi-melting, gritty at center, juicy, only slightly saccharine, generally sweetish and deficient in perfume; variable for dessert, but first for compotes; Dec.