Rousselet Hatif
Pear
Rousselet Hatif
Origin / History
The origin of this pear is uncertain, though it was probably French — in 1600 it was under cultivation at Orleans, France, according to Le Lectier (Hedrick). Duhamel described it in Traité des Arbres Fruitiers (2:148, 1768); Downing treated it in Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (846, 1869); Hogg covered it in the Fruit Manual (571, 1884).
Tree
The tree grows to a large size before it begins to bear, and is then very fruitful (Coxe). Growth is very vigorous, attaining a large size (Coxe). The branches are long and slender, of a dark dull reddish-brown color (Downing); when full of fruit, the long limbs hang like a willow (Coxe). The variety is productive (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Coxe describes the size as "large." Downing and Hedrick both describe the fruit as "rather small" / "small." (Sources disagree on size.)
Form: Pyriform — somewhat like a calabash, with a long curved neck (Coxe); acute pyriform (Downing); pyriform, slightly obtuse, with sides often unequal (Hedrick).
Stem: Long and fleshy (Coxe). Not further described in other sources.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Fine; on one side yellow, on the other a rich russet, or brownish-red (Coxe); when fully ripe, yellow with a brownish-red cheek (Downing); fine, lemon-yellow on the shaded side, and vivid red sprinkled with gray spots on the side next the sun (Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor: Remarkably fine, rich, waxy, and luscious (Coxe); a little coarse-grained, sweet, pleasant, and slightly perfumed (Downing); yellowish, fine, semi-breaking and crisp, with juice that is well perfumed, saccharine, abundant, and aromatic (Hedrick). Rated "second" in quality by Hedrick.
Core / Seeds: Apt to rot at the core (Downing; "rots at core," Thomas/Early Rousselet entry).
Season
Ripens about the middle of July (Coxe; Hedrick: "mid-July"); Downing gives the middle of August; Thomas (under "Early Rousselet") gives August. The fruit should always be suffered to hang on the tree until ripe (Coxe).
Uses
Coxe notes it is "more generally admired than any summer pear." Not otherwise described as to specific uses.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Early Catharine Or Rousselet Hatif
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
View original book sources (4)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- EARLY CATHARINE OR ROUSSELET HATIF.
This is more generally admired than any summer pear—it is remarkably fine, rich, waxy and luscious: its form is somewhat like a calabash, with a long curved neck, and a long fleshy stem, the skin is on one side yellow, the other a rich russet, or brownish red—the tree grows to a large size before it bears, it is then very fruitful. The limbs are long, and when full of fruit, hang like a willow—this pear should be always suffered to hang on the tree till ripe; the growth of the tree is very vigorous; the size large; the time of the fruit ripening is about the middle of July.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Rousselet Hatif.
Early Catharine. Early Rousselet. Kattern. Perdreau. Cyprus Pear. Poire de Chypre.
The Rousselet Hatif is productive, with long slender branches, of dark dull reddish brown color.
Fruit rather small, acute pyriform. Skin, when fully ripe, yellow, with a brownish-red cheek. Flesh a little coarse-grained, sweet, pleasant, and slightly perfumed. Ripens the middle of August. Apt to rot at the core.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)[No entry for 'Rousselet Hatif' found on page 790. This page contains alphabetical entries from 'Duchesse' through 'Eugene Appert'. The variety 'Rousselet Hatif' (French for 'Early Rousselet') would appear in the 'R' section of the book on a later page. The entry for 'Early Rousselet' appears here as: 'Early Rousselet. Rather small, pyriform, yellow and brownish-red; sweet, pleasant, perfumed; rots at core. August.']
[Additional entry in this volume: "Early Rousselet", pp. 790–790]
Early Rousselet. Rather small, pyriform, yellow and brownish-red; sweet, pleasant, perfumed; rots at core. August.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Rousselet Hatif.
i. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:148. 1768. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 846. 1869. Early Rousselet. 3. Hogg Fruit Man. 571. 1884.
The origin of this pear is uncertain though it was probably French, for in 1600 it was under cultivation at Orleans, Fr., according to Le Lectier. Fruit small, pyriform, slightly obtuse, sides often unequal; skin fine, lemon-yellow on the shaded side, and vivid red sprinkled with gray spots on the side next the sun; flesh yellowish, fine, semi-breaking and crisp; juice well perfumed, saccharine, abundant and aromatic; second; mid-July.