Louise-Bonne
PearOrigin & History
An old French pear. Merlet, the French pomologist, was the first to write of this pear in 1675 (Hedrick).
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Thomas's entry, titled "Louise Bonne" but listing "Louise Bonne de Jersey" and "Louise Bonne d'Avranches" as synonyms, describes a fruit with a brownish red cheek, buttery melting rich flesh, and mid-autumn ripening. These details are characteristic of Louise Bonne de Jersey, which is traditionally considered a distinct variety from Louise Bonne (Louise Bonne Réale). Downing, Elliott, and Hedrick all describe a green-skinned, coarse-fleshed winter pear ripening in December — consistent with Louise Bonne Réale. Thomas's description is included below with attribution, but likely refers to the Jersey variety.]
Tree
Shoots dark brown or purple; serratures of the leaves rather coarse (Thomas). Free upright growth. Very productive; succeeds admirably and is mostly grown on quince stocks (Thomas).
Fruit
Size: Large (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). Above medium (Hedrick).
Form: Pyriform. Downing describes it as "a little rounded towards the stalk." Hedrick describes the form as variable: "ovate-obtuse and swelled in lower half, or long-pyriform, narrowed toward the stalk." Thomas describes it as "pyriform, tapering slightly to obtuse or flattened crown; slightly one-sided."
Stem: An inch to an inch and a half long, often fleshy at insertion, little sunk (Thomas).
Cavity: Not described in source (Downing, Hedrick, Elliott). Thomas notes the stalk is "little sunk."
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Shallow (Thomas). Not described by other sources.
Skin: Smooth. Downing and Elliott describe the color as pale green. Hedrick describes the skin as thick, bright green changing as it ripens to yellowish-green, strewed with small dots and some markings of russet. Thomas describes the surface as pale yellowish-green with a brownish red cheek (but see note above regarding probable variety confusion).
Flesh & Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as white, rather coarse-grained, melting, sweet, and rates it "Good." Hedrick describes it as 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." Thomas describes it as yellowish-white, very juicy, buttery, melting, rich, faintly sub-acid, and rates it "fine" — though noting "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" (but see note above regarding probable variety confusion).
Core & Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
December (Downing, Hedrick, Elliott). Thomas gives "mid-autumn; late autumn far North, early autumn at Cincinnati" — a significantly earlier season consistent with Louise Bonne de Jersey rather than Louise Bonne Réale.
Uses
Variable for dessert, but first-rate for compotes (Hedrick).
Subtypes & Variants
Not described in source.
Other
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)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.
— 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.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Louise Bonne. Louise Bonne Real, | St. Germain Blanc. Foreign. Large, pyriform, pale green. 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.