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Prince Albert

Pear

Prince Albert

Origin/History

A foreign variety of Belgian origin (Thomas; Elliott). One of Van Mons' late seedlings (Downing) — specifically a seedling of the eighth generation raised by Van Mons at Louvain, Belgium, sown about 1840 (Hedrick).

Tree

Vigorous; succeeds on Pear and Quince (Elliott). Downing describes the tree as very vigorous, with young wood olive yellow brown.

Fruit

Size

Sources disagree: Elliott and Thomas describe the fruit as medium; Downing describes it as rather large; Hedrick gives medium.

Form

Pyriform (Elliott; Thomas). Downing describes it as oblong obovate pyriform. Hedrick describes it as conic, obtuse and irregular, often contorted, with sides unequal.

Stem/Stalk

Stalk an inch long (Elliott). Hedrick notes russet washing around the stem.

Cavity

Shallow and even (Elliott).

Calyx / Eye

Eye small and open, set in the shallow even cavity (Elliott). Calyx open (Downing).

Basin

Not described in source.

Skin

Sources vary in their color descriptions:

  • Elliott: skin very thick and smooth; color yellowish, sometimes with a slightly sunny cheek.
  • Downing: skin yellow, sometimes brownish yellow in the sun, with nettings and patches of russet.
  • Thomas: yellowish.
  • Hedrick: greenish, striped and dotted with fawn, washed with russet around the stem.

Flesh / Flavor

  • Elliott: flesh yellowish white, fine, melting, sugary and rich.
  • Downing: flesh yellowish, juicy; valuable as a cooking pear.
  • Thomas: melting, rich.
  • Hedrick: flesh white, semi-fine and semi-breaking, gritty; juice abundant, saccharine, aromatic, rather savory. Rated second in quality.

Core/Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

February and March (Elliott; Thomas). December to March (Downing). November and December (Hedrick).

Uses

Valuable as a cooking pear (Downing). Otherwise described as a dessert-quality fruit (melting, sugary, rich — Elliott; melting, rich — Thomas; saccharine and aromatic — Hedrick).

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Elliott attributes his description to the Gardener's Chronicle ("Gard. Ch."). Hedrick cites Pomologie de la France 4:No. 141, Pl. 141 (1865) and Downing's Fruit Trees of America p. 836 (1869) as his references.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 1 catalog (1864) from Oregon

View original book sources (4)

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.)

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

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.

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

Prince Albert. Medium, pyriform, yellowish; melting, rich. February. Belgian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Prince Albert.

  1. 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.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)