Prince Impérial de France
PearPrince Impérial de France
Origin / History
One of M. Gregoire's seedlings (Downing, citing An. Pom.). M. Gregoire, the well-known Belgian seedsman (Hedrick), obtained the variety at Jodoigne, Brabant, in 1850 from seed of Pastorale sown in 1835. Hedrick cites Leroy, Dict. Pom. 2:554 (1889), and Downing, Fr. Trees Am. 837 (1869). A second entry in Hedrick, citing Guide Pratique (1876), records the variety as obtained by M. Grégoire, Jodoigne, Brabant, Belgium, in 1850.
Tree
Tree vigorous, irregular spreading, productive (Downing). The Guide Pratique entry gives vigorous and fertile.
Fruit
Size: Large; Hedrick gives above medium.
Form: Obovate ovate pyriform (Downing). Irregular-ovate and rather swelled, one side usually more enlarged than the other (Hedrick). Ovate in the Guide Pratique entry.
Stem: Medium.
Cavity: Deep, acute, furrowed.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Clear warm greenish yellow, becoming golden or brownish in the sun, with small patches and dots of fawn russet (Downing). Bright green, dotted, streaked, patched and spotted with fawn-russet (Hedrick). Bright yellow all over in the Guide Pratique entry.
Dots: Small, fawn russet, with patches of the same color (Downing). Dotted and spotted with fawn-russet (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, slightly tinged with rose (Downing); fine, slightly gritty below the core (Hedrick); melting, juicy. Sweet with an agreeable perfume (Downing). Juice abundant, refreshing, saccharine, acidulous, perfumed; quality "first" (Hedrick). The Guide Pratique entry gives flesh salmon-colored, buttery, rather juicy, saccharine, with an agreeable perfume; "first".
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
September to November. Hedrick gives September; Downing gives October; the Guide Pratique entry gives October and November.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Prince Imperial
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Prince Imperial de France.
One of M. Gregoire's seedlings. Tree vigorous, irregular spreading, productive.
Fruit large, obovate ovate pyriform. Skin clear warm greenish yellow, becoming golden or brownish in sun, with small patches and dots of fawn russet. Stalk medium. Cavity deep, acute, furrowed. Flesh white, slightly tinged with rose, melting, juicy, sweet, with an agreeable perfume. October. (An. Pom.)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Prince Impérial de France.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:554, fig. 1889. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 837. 1869.
M. Gregoire, the well-known Belgian seedsman, obtained this variety at Jodoigne in 1850 from seed of Pastorale sown in 1835. Fruit above medium, irregular-ovate and rather swelled, having one side usually more enlarged than the other, bright green, dotted, streaked, patched and spotted with fawn-russet; flesh white, fine, juicy, melting, slightly gritty below the core; juice abundant, refreshing, saccharine, acidulous, perfumed; first; Sept.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Prince Imperial", pp. 692–692]
Prince Imperial. 1. Guide Prat. 65. 1876. Obtained by M. Grégoire, Jodoigne, Brabant, Bel., in 1850. Tree vigorous and fertile. Fruit large, ovate, bright yellow all over; flesh salmon-colored, buttery, rather juicy, saccharine and having an agreeable perfume; first; Oct. and Nov.