Serrurier
PearSerrurier
Origin / History
A seedling of Professor Van Mons'. Hedrick says Van Mons obtained it from seed at Louvain, Belgium, about 1825. Hedrick cites Downing (Fr. Trees Am., 1857) and Leroy (Dict. Pom., 1869) for the variety. Downing rates it "good to very good" and Hedrick "first".
Tree
Tree vigorous, healthy, productive. Young wood light yellow brown.
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Thomas); large (Hedrick).
Form: Roundish obovate to conic-obovate, obtuse. Hedrick: form rather inconstant, passing from irregular ovate, swelled and much bossed, to ovate more or less globular, and mammillate at the summit.
Stem: Medium (Downing); rather short (Thomas).
Cavity: Small, often russeted (Downing); small (Thomas).
Calyx: Open.
Basin: Small (Downing); shallow (Thomas).
Skin: Thick (Hedrick). Pale yellow, yellow, or olive-yellow, with a tinge of red in the sun, occasionally vermilioned on the side exposed to the sun (Hedrick). Considerably netted and patched with russet; slightly russeted (Thomas); stained with fawn around the calyx and touched with some brown russet (Hedrick).
Dots: Numerous, thickly set; russet (Downing); gray (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Yellowish white (Downing) or whitish (Hedrick); a little coarse (Downing) or slightly granular (Thomas); juicy, melting or semi-melting. Vinous and saccharine, brisk, slightly astringent, with a tartish flavor and a particularly pleasant aroma (Hedrick). Quality "good to very good" (Downing); "first" (Hedrick).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
September to November. Most authors give October, or October and November; Thomas alone begins in September.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Serrurier.
Serrurier d'Automne. Nouveau Maison. Fondante de Millot. Nouveau Mauxion. Fondante Serrurier de Millot.
A seedling of Professor Van Mons'. Tree vigorous, healthy, productive. Young wood light yellow brown.
Fruit medium, roundish obovate obtuse. Skin pale yellow, with a tinge of red in the sun, considerably netted and patched with russet, and numerously sprinkled with russet dots. Stalk medium, inserted in a small cavity, often russeted. Calyx open. Basin small. Flesh yellowish white, a little coarse, juicy, melting, vinous, slightly astringent. Good to very good. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Serrurier. (Fondante de Millot.) Medium, conic-obovate, obtuse; yellow, thickly dotted, slightly russeted; stalk rather short; cavity small, basin shallow; flesh slightly granular, juicy, melting, brisk, vinous. September, October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Serrurier.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 543. 1857.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:660. 1869.
Van Mons obtained this variety from seed at Louvain, Bel., about 1825. Fruit large; form rather inconstant, passing from irregular ovate, swelled and much bossed, to ovate more or less globular, and mammillate at the summit; skin thick, olive-yellow, closely dotted with gray, stained with fawn around the calyx and touched with some brownrusset and occasionally vermilioned on the side exposed to the sun; flesh whitish, melting or semi-melting, juicy, vinous and saccharine, possessing a tartish flavor and a particularly pleasant aroma; first; Oct. and Nov.