Prince Albert
PearOrigin and History
A seedling of the eighth generation raised by Van Mons at Louvain, Belgium, sown about 1840 (Hedrick). Downing describes it as "one of Van Mons' late seedlings."
Tree
Vigorous. Young wood olive yellow brown (Downing). Succeeds on both pear and quince stocks (Elliott).
Fruit
Size: Medium, though Downing describes it as "rather large."
Form: Pyriform (Elliott, Thomas). Downing describes the form more specifically as oblong obovate pyriform. Hedrick differs, describing it as conic, obtuse and irregular, often contorted, with unequal sides.
Stem: An inch long (Elliott).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Open (Downing). Elliott describes the eye as small, open, set in a shallow even cavity.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Downing describes it as yellow, sometimes brownish yellow in the sun, with nettings and patches of russet. Elliott describes the skin as very thick and smooth, yellowish, sometimes with a slightly sunny cheek. Hedrick differs, describing the color as greenish, striped and dotted with fawn, washed with russet around the stem.
Flesh and Flavor: Sources disagree markedly on flesh quality. Elliott describes the flesh as yellowish white, fine, melting, sugary and rich. Thomas concurs: melting, rich. Downing describes it as yellowish, juicy, but valuable chiefly as a cooking pear. Hedrick describes the flesh as white, semi-fine and semi-breaking, gritty, with juice abundant, saccharine, aromatic, rather savory; rated second quality.
Core and Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
December to March (Downing). February and March (Elliott, Thomas). Hedrick gives a notably earlier season: November and December.
Uses
Valuable as a cooking pear (Downing). The descriptions by Elliott and Thomas of melting, sugary, rich flesh suggest dessert quality as well.
Subtypes and Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Elliott's description is cited from the Gardeners' Chronicle (noted as "Gard. Ch." in his text). Hedrick cites Poiteau's Pomologie Française (1865) and Downing (1869) as references.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1864) from Oregon
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell's Prairie, Marion County , Oregon — 1864
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Prince Albert.
One of Van Mons' late seedlings. Tree very vigorous. Young wood olive yellow brown.
Fruit rather large, oblong obovate pyriform. Skin yellow, sometimes brownish yellow in the sun, nettings and patches of russet. Calyx open. Flesh yellowish, juicy, valuable as a cooking pear. December to March.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Prince Albert.
- Pom. France 4:No. 141, Pl. 141. 1865. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 836. 1869. This was a seedling of the eighth generation raised by Van Mons at Louvain, Bel., sown about 1840. Fruit medium, conic, obtuse and irregular, often contorted, sides unequal, greenish, striped and dotted with fawn, washed with russet around the stem; flesh white, semi-fine and semi-breaking, gritty; juice abundant, saccharine, aromatic, rather savory; second; Nov. and Dec.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Prince Albert.
Foreign. Tree, vigorous, succeeds on Pear and Quince. Fruit, medium, pyriform ; skin, very thick and smooth ; color, yellowish, sometimes with a slightly sunny cheek ; stalk, an inch long ; eye, small, open, in a shallow even cavity ; flesh, yellowish white, fine, melting, sugary and rich. February, March. (Gard. Ch.)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Prince Albert. Medium, pyriform, yellowish; melting, rich. February. Belgian.