NEC PLUS MEURIS
PearNEC PLUS MEURIS
Origin / History
A Belgian pear, one of Dr. Van Mons' seedlings (Downing). It was named in allusion to Pierre Meuris, Van Mons' gardener at Brussels. Elliott calls it "an unprepossessing looking, uneven, dull russet fruit, of very fine flavor."
Bunyard, citing the Herefordshire Pomona (II, 68), disputes the origin for the pear he describes. He writes that "this pear is not the Nec Plus Meuris of France, or Van Mons, which is our Beurré d'Anjou." He judges the figure in the Herefordshire Pomona correct but the origin given there wrong. He could not find the correct name of the variety and considers it "very probably French or Belgian." Hedrick follows Bunyard on this point, citing Hogg's Fruit Manual (622, 1884) and Bunyard's Handbook of Hardy Fruits (189, 1920), and calls the origin uncertain.
Tree
Upright in growth, with short-jointed, olive-colored shoots. Bears in thick bunches or clusters (Elliott). Fertility excellent (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium or rather small to small, 2 by 2 (Bunyard).
Form: Roundish to round-oval, usually very irregular and very uneven, with swollen parts on the surface.
Stem: Quite short to very short and stout, "continued" (Bunyard).
Cavity: Small, the stalk set without depression (Downing).
Calyx: Eye large, open (Bunyard).
Basin: Small (Bunyard).
Skin: Rough (Elliott) to a little rough (Bunyard). Dull yellowish brown, partially covered with iron-colored russet (Downing). Bunyard gives it as greenish yellow, nearly covered with brown russet, and occasionally with a slight brown-red flush.
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white to pale yellow, buttery, melting. Downing calls the flavor sugary and agreeable and rates it "Good." Elliott calls it "sugary and very agreeable," and Bunyard calls the flesh "deliciously perfumed."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Winter, January to March. Bunyard gives February to March.
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921) — listed as Nee Plus Meuris
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1845–1917) from England, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Neplus Meuris
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917 — listed as Ne Plus Meuris
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Ne Plus Meuris.
Belgian. An unprepossessing looking, uneven, dull russet fruit, of very fine flavor. The tree grows upright, has short-jointed, olive-colored shoots and bears in thick bunches or clusters.
Fruit, medium, or rather small, roundish, usually very irregular, with swollen parts on the surface; skin, rough, dull yellowish brown, partially covered with iron-colored russet; stalk, quite short, set without depression, in a small cavity; flesh, yellowish white, buttery, melting, with a sugary and very agreeable flavor. January to March.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Ne Plus Meuris.
This is a Belgian Pear, one of Dr. Van Mons' seedlings, named in allusion to Pierre Meuris, his gardener at Brussels. The tree grows upright, has short-jointed, olive-colored shoots.
Fruit medium or rather small, roundish, usually very irregular, with swollen parts on the surface, dull yellowish brown, partially covered with iron-colored russet. Stalk quite short, set without depression, in a small cavity. Flesh yellowish white, buttery, with a sugary and agreeable flavor. Good. January to March.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Ne Plus Meuris. Rather small, roundish, irregular, dull yellowish-brown, partly russeted; agreeable. Winter. Belgian.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)NEC PLUS MEURIS. Her. Pom., II., 68. Dessert February to March, small, 2 by 2, round oval, very uneven. Skin, a little rough. Colour, greenish yellow nearly covered with brown russet and occasionally with a slight brown-red flush. Flesh, pale yellow, melting and deliciously perfumed. Eye, large open in a small basin. Stem, very short and stout, continued. Growth, upright ; fertility excellent. Origin, this pear is not the Nec Plus Meuris of France, or Van Mons, which is our Beurré d'Anjou. The figure in the Herefordshire Pomona is correct but the origin given is wrong. I have not been able to find the correct name of this variety, and it is very probably French or Belgian.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Nee Plus Meuris.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 622. 1884.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 189. 1920.
This is not the Nee Plus Meuris of France which is our Beurré d'Anjou. The origin is uncertain. Fruit small, round-oval, uneven, greenish-yellow, nearly covered with rough brown-russet; stem very short, stout, continuous with the fruit; calyx large, open, in a small basin; flesh pale, yellow, melting, deliciously perfumed; Feb. and Mar.
[Additional entry in this volume: "NEC PLUS MEURIS", pp. 661–661]
Nee Plus Meuris. i. Hogg Fruit Man. 622. 1884. 2. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 189. 1920. This is not the Nee Plus Meuris of France which is our Beurré d'Anjou. The origin is uncertain. Fruit small, round-oval, uneven, greenish-yellow, nearly covered with rough brown-russet; stem very short, stout, continuous with the fruit; calyx large, open, in a small basin; flesh pale, yellow, melting, deliciously perfumed; Feb. and Mar.