Monarch
Pear
Monarch Pear
Origin/History
Monarch was the favourite seedling pear of Thomas Andrew Knight, raised at Downton Castle, England, in 1830. Knight believed it originated from seed of the Autumn Bergamot, though he was not entirely certain of its parentage. Knight named it himself: "I named it the 'Monarch,' under conviction that for the climate of England, it stands without an equal; and because it first appeared in the first year of the reign of our most excellent monarch" (William IV, 1830). (Trans. Hort. Soc., 2nd Series, Vol. I, p. 107.)
The official report on the merits of the Monarch, from fruit grown in the gardens of the Horticultural Society, was published with Knight's own comments (see Herefordshire Pomona Introduction, p. 43). Since that time its estimation has greatly increased, and it is now universally admitted to be one of the most valuable pears.
The Monarch became so great a favourite that many of Knight's other seedling pears in Herefordshire came to be called by the same name, resulting in complete confusion as to the real variety in that county. For this reason the Herefordshire Pomona includes both a coloured figure and an exact outline traced from the coloured representation in the Transactions of the Horticultural Society (2nd Series, Vol. I, p. 107).
Tree
The tree is very hardy and forms a handsome pyramid, but its wood is slender and straggling. It is usually an excellent bearer, but in some situations it is capricious. Its greatest imperfection is a liability to lose its fruit from the wind before it is ripe; it therefore requires a sheltered situation.
Bunyard notes that the tree is easily recognized in winter by its very large oval buds, which stand out like those of a red currant. (Hedrick)
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium sized, roundish (Herefordshire Pomona) / globular (Hedrick); two inches and three quarters long by two and a quarter wide.
Stem: Three quarters of an inch long, inserted in a small cavity, frequently without depression.
Cavity: Small, frequently without depression.
Calyx: Small and open.
Basin: Shallow and undulating.
Skin: Yellowish green, very much covered with brown russet, and strewed with grey russet specks. Usually has a tinge of brownish red next the sun.
Flesh and Flavor: Yellowish, buttery, melting, and very juicy. Flavor described as rich, sprightly, sugary, and agreeably perfumed (Herefordshire Pomona); rich, vinous, sugary, and agreeably perfumed (Hedrick). Quality rated first, and one of the most valuable.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
January and February (Herefordshire Pomona); December and January (Hedrick).
Uses
The fruit is so excellent that it deserves to have a proper place found for it in every garden. Requires a sheltered situation to prevent premature fruit drop in wind.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)MONARCH.
[Syn: Knight's Monarch.]
This pear was the favourite seedling of Mr. Thomas Andrew Knight. Of its parentage he was not quite sure, but he believed it to have originated from the seed of the Autumn Bergamot. "I named it the 'Monarch,' says Mr. Knight, "under conviction that for the climate of England, it stands without an equal; and because it first appeared in the first year of the reign of our most excellent monarch" (William IV, 1830). Trans. Hort. Soc., 2nd Series, Vol. I, p. 107.
Description.—Fruit; medium sized, roundish, two inches and three quarters long, by two and a quarter wide. Skin; yellowish green, very much covered with brown russet, and strewed with grey russet specks. It has usually a tinge of brownish red next the sun. Eye; small and open, set in a shallow undulating basin. Stalk; three quarters of an inch long, inserted in a small cavity, frequently without depression. Flesh; yellowish, buttery, melting, and very juicy; with a rich, sprightly, sugary, and agreeably perfumed flavour. Season; January and February.
The official report on the merits of the Monarch from fruit grown in the gardens of the Horticultural Society has already been given in full in the Introduction of this work (see page 43.) with Mr. Knight's comments upon it. Since this time its estimation has greatly increased and it is now universally admitted to be one of our most valuable pears.
The tree is very hardy, and forms a handsome pyramid, but its wood is slender and straggling. It is usually an excellent bearer, but in some situations it is capricious. Its greatest imperfection is the liability to lose its fruit from the wind before it is ripe. It requires therefore a sheltered situation; but the fruit is so excellent that it deserves to have a proper place found for it in every garden.
The Monarch has indeed become so great a favourite that every one likes to think he has it in his orchard. Many of Mr. Knight's other seedling pears have thus been called the Monarch until in Herefordshire a complete confusion as to the real variety has taken place. For this reason, in addition to the coloured figure, an exact outline is also added of the coloured representation of the Monarch, as given in the "Transactions of the Horticultural Society, 2nd Series, Vol. I, p. 107," with the section at the head of the preceding page.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Monarch.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 312. 1866.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 188. 1920. Knight Monarch.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 796. 1869.
Raised by Thomas Andrew Knight, Downton Castle, Eng., in 1830.
Bunyard says: "Tree easily recognized in winter by its very large oval buds, which stand out like those of a red currant."
Fruit medium, globular, yellowish-green, much covered with brown-russet and strewed with gray-russet specks; flesh yellowish, buttery, melting and very juicy, with a rich, vinous, sugary, and agreeably-perfumed flavor; first, one of the most valuable; Dec. and Jan.