Reine des Poires
PearReine des Poires
Origin/History
Raised from seed by the Count de Coloma from the garden of the Nunnery of the Riches-Claires, Mechlin, Belgium. The Count came into possession of the garden directly after the suppression of the order in 1786, and two years later made seed beds from which were raised, among other good varieties, the Reine des Poires (Hedrick). Downing identifies it simply as a French pear. It appears in Manning's Book of Fruits as early as 1828, and is figured in Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (2:581) in 1869.
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Conflicting. Downing gives medium or above; Hedrick gives below medium.
Form: Downing describes the form as obovate pyriform. Hedrick describes it as turbinate-ovate but irregular in form.
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: The two sources give substantially different descriptions. Downing describes the skin as pale yellow, shaded and mottled with crimson in the sun. Hedrick describes the skin as rather thick and yet tender, green dotted with small brown points, changing to yellow, much covered with a brownish-red russet.
Flesh and Flavor: Conflicting. Downing describes the flesh as white, coarse, breaking, and not juicy, rating the fruit scarcely good except for cooking and of poor quality overall. Hedrick describes the flesh as whitish, semi-fine, and melting, with juice abundant, saccharine and acidulous, and of an exquisite perfume, rating it first quality.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
October (both sources agree). Hedrick further notes "first" as the ripening designation within the October season.
Uses
Downing considers it scarcely good except for cooking. Hedrick's characterization of the juice and perfume implies a dessert-quality fruit. The two sources are in direct conflict on culinary value.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Reine des Poires.
A French Pear, of poor quality.
Fruit medium or above, obovate pyriform. Skin pale yellow, shaded and mottled with crimson in the sun. Flesh white, coarse, breaking, not juicy. Scarcely good except for cooking. October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Reine des Poires.
- Manning Book of Fruits 84. 1828.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:581, fig. 1869.
The Count de Coloma came into possession of the garden of the Nunnery of the Riches-Claires, Mechlin, Bel., directly after the suppression of the order in 1786 and two years later made seed beds from which were raised, among other good varieties, the Reine des Poires.
Fruit below medium, turbinate-ovate but irregular in form; skin rather thick and yet tender, green dotted with small brown points, changing to yellow, much covered with a brownish-red russet; flesh whitish, semi-fine, melting; juice abundant, saccharine and acidulous, with an exquisite perfume; first; Oct.