Philippe Goes
PearPhilippe Goes
Origin/History
Philippe Goes is a Belgian variety (Elliott 1865; Thomas 1903), described by Downing as much resembling Baronne de Mello. Hedrick records it as a posthumous gain from the seed beds of Van Mons, with the parent tree bearing its first fruit in 1846. It was first published in the Annales de Pomologie Belge, vol. 3, p. 51, with a figure, in 1855, and subsequently in Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1869 edition, p. 833).
Tree
Sufficiently vigorous and very fertile (Elliott); vigorous and productive (Downing). Young wood dark olive brown (Downing).
Size
Sources disagree on size. Elliott and Thomas describe the fruit as medium. Downing describes it as small to medium. Hedrick describes it as above medium.
Form
Turbinate-pyriform, bossed, and often irregular (Elliott); roundish acute pyriform (Downing); turbinate pyriform (Thomas); obovate, uneven and undulating in outline (Hedrick).
Stem
Stalk long, curved, fleshy at insertion (Downing). Not otherwise described.
Cavity
Not described in source.
Calyx
Small, partially closed (Downing). Not otherwise described.
Basin
Small (Downing). Not otherwise described.
Skin
Rough, totally covered with gray russet (Elliott); yellow, covered with brownish russet (Downing); rough, russeted (Thomas); rough to the touch, of a dark olive, much covered with a bright russet (Hedrick).
Flesh/Flavor
Whitish-yellow, fine and melting, juice enough, sweet and finely perfumed; quite first quality (Elliott). Whitish, melting, juicy, vinous, slightly aromatic; good to very good (Downing). Juicy, sweet, perfumed; very good (Thomas). Semi-melting, gritty, sweet, rather granular at the center, juice rarely abundant, saccharine, vinous and fairly well perfumed; second (Hedrick).
Sources disagree on juiciness and texture: Elliott, Downing, and Thomas describe the flesh as melting and juicy, while Hedrick describes it as semi-melting, gritty, and granular at the center with juice rarely abundant. Quality ratings also differ, from Elliott's "quite first quality" and Downing's "good to very good" to Hedrick's "second."
Core/Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
Sources disagree on ripening season. Elliott places it at middle of November; Thomas simply gives November; Downing gives September; Hedrick gives December.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Downing notes the variety much resembles Baronne de Mello.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Philippe Goes.
Foreign. Tree, sufficiently vigorous and very fertile. Fruit, medium, turbinate-pyriform, bossed, and often irregular ; skin, rough, totally covered with gray russet ; flesh, whitish-yellow, fine and melting, juice enough, sweet and finely perfumed ; quite first quality. Ripens middle of November. (An. Pom.)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Philippe Goes.
A Belgian variety, much resembling Baronne de Mello. Tree vigorous and productive. Young wood dark olive brown.
Fruit small to medium, roundish acute pyriform, yellow, covered with brownish russet. Stalk long, curved, fleshy at insertion. Calyx small, partially closed. Basin small. Flesh whitish, melting, juicy, vinous, slightly aromatic. Good to very good. September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Philippe Goes. Medium, turbinate pyriform, rough, russeted; juicy, sweet, perfumed; very good. November. Belgian.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Philippe Goes.
i. Ann. Pom. Beige 3:51, fig. 1855. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 833. 1869.
A posthumous gain from the seed beds of Van Mons. The parent tree gave its first fruit in 1846. Fruit above medium, obovate, uneven and undulating in outline; skin rough to the touch, of a dark olive, much covered with a bright russet; flesh semi-melting, gritty, sweet, rather granular at the center, juice rarely abundant, saccharine, vinous and fairly well perfumed; second; Dec.