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Manning's Elizabeth

Pear
Illustration from Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Manning's Elizabeth Pear

Origin / History

Manning's Elizabeth originated as a numbered seedling (Van Mons No. 158, per Hovey; No. 154, per Downing — the two sources conflict on this number) raised by Dr. Van Mons at his nursery in Louvain, Belgium. The original trees were subsequently removed or destroyed, leaving entire possession of the variety in the hands of American introducers.

The history of its American introduction is recounted in detail by Hovey (1852): Dr. Van Mons had previously sent two collections of pear scions to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, both of which were unfortunately lost in transit in successive years. In 1834, Messrs. Kenrick, Manning, and Dearborn solicited Van Mons to dispatch a third collection; this arrived safely in the spring of 1835 in sufficiently good condition that more than half the scions were saved. A further package arrived in the spring of 1836 and, though delayed in transit, yielded many additional sorts. Together these two shipments embraced nearly one hundred and fifty named varieties and upwards of one hundred unnamed or numbered kinds, the latter being wholly seedlings designated by their nursery numbers.

The Elizabeth was among these numbered varieties. Dr. Van Mons gave Mr. Manning permission to name any of the numbered sorts that proved worthy of cultivation, and Manning accordingly described and named it in the Magazine of Horticulture (vol. viii, p. 57) as the Elizabeth, Van Mons. Hovey subsequently described it more fully under the same name, accompanied by an outline drawing of the fruit. The variety was later renamed Manning's Elizabeth in recognition of Manning's zealous labors in the introduction and dissemination of various pears — a name Hovey endorsed and aided in disseminating. Thomas (1903) characterizes it simply as Belgian in origin.

Tree

Vigor and habit: Downing describes growth as moderate; Hovey characterizes the tree as vigorous — the two sources conflict on this point. Hovey describes the habit as upright, with rather spreading branches that are horizontal at first but turn upward with a gentle curve. Annual shoots are long and moderately stout (Hovey).

Wood: Deep reddish brown, dotted with a few grayish specks, moderately stout, and rather short-jointed. Old wood is light brown (Hovey). Downing describes the shoots as dull reddish; Thomas describes them as diverging and dark reddish-brown.

Buds: Medium size, ovate, bluntly pointed, diverging. Flower-buds medium size (Hovey).

Leaves: Medium size, ovate, tapering to the point, yellowish green, wavy, and entire at the edge. Petioles medium length, about one and a half inches long, moderately stout (Hovey).

Flowers: Medium size; petals roundish; clusters compact (Hovey).

Bearing habit: A most profuse bearer, literally loaded with pears (Hovey). Productive (Downing). Succeeds well upon the quince and comes into bearing early (Hovey). Thomas notes it does best on dwarf stock.

Fruit

Size: Below medium (Downing). Small, about two inches long and two inches in diameter (Hovey). Small (Thomas).

Form: Obovate obtuse pyriform (Downing). Obovate, very full around the crown, tapering to and ending obtusely at the stem (Hovey). Obovate, Seckel-form (Thomas).

Stem: One inch long (Downing, Thomas). Hovey gives a somewhat shorter measurement — about three-quarters of an inch long, rather slender, and slightly inserted in a shallow cavity. The two measurements conflict; Downing and Thomas agree at one inch.

Cavity: Shallow and round (Downing, Thomas). Shallow, with the stem slightly inserted (Hovey).

Calyx: Open (Downing). Small and open, little sunk in an open, shallow basin; segments of the calyx short (Hovey).

Basin: Broad and shallow (Downing). Open and shallow (Hovey).

Skin: Bright yellow with a lively red cheek, dotted with brown and red dots (Downing). Rich lemon yellow, brilliantly suffused with crimson on the sunny side, through which appear deeper-colored specks; paler in the shade (Hovey). Thomas describes the surface as yellow with a lively blush, and characterizes it as smooth — in mild conflict with Hovey, who says the skin is fair but a little rough. A peculiarly distinctive marking is described by Hovey: when the fruit is about two-thirds of its full size, one half of the pear — the blossom end — in most specimens assumes a thick russet covering, which usually terminates in a complete circle around the middle of the fruit; this russet generally persists and is retained at maturity.

Flesh: White (Downing); yellowish and coarse (Hovey) — the two sources conflict on color. Melting and juicy (Downing, Hovey). Very melting (Thomas).

Flavor: Saccharine but very sprightly and aromatic (Downing). Sugary, rich, and pleasantly perfumed (Hovey). Saccharine, sprightly, perfumed, excellent (Thomas). Downing describes the overall character as a very sweet and sprightly pear with a peculiar flavor. Quality rated Very Good or Best (Downing).

Core: Large (Hovey).

Seeds: Rather large, brown (Hovey).

Season

Ripe from the middle to the last of August (Hovey). Last of August (Downing). Early (Thomas).

Uses

A beautiful dessert fruit and one of the most desirable pears of its season for amateur growing (Downing).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Thomas's asterisk (*) following the variety name likely indicates a footnote or rating mark in the original text, the content of which is not reproduced in the excerpted source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 17 catalogs (1845–1912) from Alabama, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

View original book sources (3)

Manning's Elizabeth.

Van Mons. No. 154. Elizabeth Van Mons.

Manning's Elizabeth, a seedling of Dr. Van Mons', named by Mr. Manning, is a very sweet and sprightly Pear, with a peculiar flavor. A beautiful dessert fruit, productive, growth moderate, shoots dull reddish. One of the most desirable Pears of its season, for amateur growing.

Fruit below medium, obovate obtuse pyriform, bright yellow, with a lively red cheek, dotted with brown and red dots. Stalk one inch long, set in a shallow, round cavity. Calyx open, set in a broad shallow basin. Flesh white, juicy, and very melting, with a saccharine but very sprightly aromatic character. Very good or best. Last of August.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

THE MANNING'S ELIZABETH PEAR.

Manning's Elizabeth. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. viii. p. 57. 158 Van Mons, Magazine of Horticulture, vol. viii. Elizabeth, Van Mons, Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xiii.

Nearly twenty-five years have elapsed since Dr. Van Mons sent to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society two collections of pear scions, both of which, in successive years, were unfortunately lost on the way. Deprived thus of securing the choice seedlings, the fruits of his labors for many years, Messrs. Kenrick, Manning and Dearborn, in 1834, solicited Van Mons to send another collection, with the hope of better success in their transportation. Fortunately, in the spring of 1835, these arrived safely at their destination, and in such good order that more than half of them were saved. In the spring of 1836 another package came to hand, and, though delayed on its way, many additional sorts were secured. These two collections embraced nearly one hundred and fifty named varieties, and upwards of one hundred unnamed or numbered kinds, the latter wholly seedlings, and designated under the numbers by which they were known in Dr. Van Mons's nursery at Louvain, the original trees of which were soon after removed or destroyed, leaving their entire possession in the hands of Messrs. Kenrick and Manning.

The Elizabeth was one of these numbered varieties, (No. 158.) Dr. Van Mons kindly gave Mr. Manning permission to name any of them which might prove worthy of cultivation; and in accordance with his wishes Mr. Manning described and named it in the Magazine of Horticulture, (vol. viii. p. 57,) as the Elizabeth, Van Mons. Subsequently we described it more fully under the same name, accompanied with an outline of the fruit; but as commendatory of the zealous labors of Mr. Manning in the introduction and dissemination of various pears, it has more recently been called Manning's Elizabeth, a name well deserved, and one which we are happy to aid in disseminating.

The Elizabeth is a very fine early pear; remarkably beautiful, with a deep yellow skin and a bright red cheek. Often it is peculiarly marked; when about two-thirds of its size, one half of the pear,—the blossom end,—in most of the specimens, assumes a thick russet covering, which usually terminates in a complete circle around the middle of the fruit, and it generally retains this color, even at maturity. It is a most profuse bearer, being literally loaded with pears: it succeeds well upon the quince, and comes into bearing early.

Tree.—Vigorous, upright, with rather spreading branches, horizontal at first, but which turn upward with a gentle curve; annual shoots, long and moderately stout.

Wood.—Deep reddish brown, dotted with a few grayish specks, moderately stout, and rather short-jointed; old wood, light brown; buds, medium size, ovate, bluntly pointed, diverging: Flower-buds, medium size.

Leaves.—Medium size, ovate, tapering to the point, yellowish green, wavy, and entire at the edge; petioles, medium length, about one and a half inches long, moderately stout.

Flowers.—Medium size; petals, roundish; clusters, compact.

Fruit.—Small, about two inches long, and two in diameter: Form, obovate, very full around the crown, tapering to, and ending obtusely at, the stem: Skin, fair, little rough, rich lemon yellow, brilliantly suffused with crimson on the sunny side, through which appears deeper colored specks, becoming paler in the shade, the end next the crown often covered with thick russet: Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, rather slender, and slightly inserted in a shallow cavity: Eye, small, open, and little sunk in an open, shallow basin; segments of the calyx, short: Flesh, yellowish, coarse, melting and juicy: Flavor, sugary, rich, and pleasantly perfumed: Core, large: Seeds, rather large, brown.

Ripe from the middle to the last of August.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Manning's Elizabeth.* Small, obovate, Seckel-form, smooth; surface yellow, with a lively blush; stalk one inch long, cavity round, shallow; flesh very melting, saccharine, sprightly, perfumed, excellent. Early. Shoots diverging, dark reddish-brown. Does best on dwarf stock. Belgian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Elizabeth Elizabeth Van Mons Elizabeth, Van Mons Manning's Elizabeth Van Mons No. 154 Van Mons No. 158 Van Mons. No. 154 Elizabeth