Summer Bon Chrétien
Pear
Summer Bon Chrétien
Origin/History
Summer Bon Chrétien is a valuable, well-known pear whose origin, as Lindley (1841) writes, "is lost in the darkness of antiquity." It has long been cultivated all over Europe for the size and delicious flavour of its fruit. By some pomologists it is supposed to be the Regalia of Valerius Cordus; the Piri di Gacemella of Agostino Gallo; and the Domestica, Pentagonum perelegans, and Pugillanum Bollense of John Bauhin. If these conjectures are correct, its origin dates back at least to the beginning of the sixteenth century, and probably much earlier. Lindley notes it has found a place in every work of consequence for the preceding 150 years.
Upon the continent it has been known by a great number of names. In Italy it is called Gracioli and Gratiola di Roma; in Holland, Zomer Safraan, Apotheker Peer, Kanneelpeer, Sucker Kandijpeer, Kanjerweel, Kruidkanjerweel, Marsepeinpeer, and Schager Magd; in parts of Germany, Malvasierbirne and Strasburgerbirne; in Württemberg and Anspach, Zuckerbirne; in Thuringia, Zuckeradenbirne; and in Vienna, Plutzerbirne, from its resemblance in form to a wine-flask. Earlier citations appear in Parkinson's Paradisus (1629), Forsyth's Treatise, Miller's Dictionary, Duhamel's Traité des Arbres Fr., Knoop's Pomologia, Mayer's Pomona Austriaca, Noisette's Jardin Fruitier, and the Horticultural Society's Fruit Catalogue (no. 136).
Coxe (1817) notes that in the United States the variety is often mis-named the Jargonelle. Lindley observes that in England its place is too often supplied by inferior varieties whose merit is more frequently novelty than excellence.
The specimen described by Lindley was communicated by Mr. Fairbairn from the garden of His Royal Highness Prince Leopold at Claremont.
Tree
The wood is long, flexuose or zigzag, smooth, with prominent buds, forming a drooping tree like the Jargonelle (Lindley). Coxe describes the tree as being of vigorous growth.
Leaves are roundish, with a point, smooth, flat, slightly and regularly serrated (Lindley). Coxe describes the leaves as large and smooth. Lindley adds a key distinguishing feature: when young, the leaves are very thin and pale green on both sides, by which Summer Bon Chrétien is readily distinguished from the Jargonelle, in which the young leaves are at that time of a thick, cottony texture.
The flowers are the largest among pears (Lindley).
Fruit is produced upon the extremities of young branches, which must be borne in mind when pruning (Lindley).
Summer Bon Chrétien requires a south-east or west wall and will not succeed as a standard. It does not bear well on a quince stock and should always be worked on a pear (Lindley).
Fruit
Size
Varying from 3½ to 4½ inches in length, and from 2½ to 3 inches in breadth across the widest part (Lindley). Coxe describes it as a large and handsome fruit.
Form
Very irregular form (both sources agree). The shape is oblong, swelled in the middle, and diminishing towards each end, but more towards the stalk (Coxe). Lindley describes it as exceedingly knobby and irregular in outline, particularly about the eye, and quite blunt at the base.
Stem
Long and large, frequently inserted on one side (Coxe).
Cavity
Not described in source.
Calyx / Eye
Eye prominent, small (Lindley).
Basin
Not described in source.
Skin
The two sources offer partially divergent descriptions of skin color, possibly reflecting different stages of ripeness or different selections. Coxe describes the skin as very smooth, of a yellowish green, clouded with clusters of black spots, and notes that it frequently cracks, which diminishes its excellence — "when free from this defect, it is a very estimable fruit." Lindley, describing the fruit when fully ripe, gives the skin as pale lemon-colour, very slightly tinged with red on the sunny side, and covered all over pretty regularly with small green dots.
Flesh/Flavor
The flesh is rich, melting, and of a highly musked taste, saccharine and waxy, yielding an uncommonly fine odour (Coxe). Lindley describes the flesh as yellowish, breaking, firm, juicy, very sweet, and excellent.
Core/Seeds
Core very small, placed near the eye. Seeds all abortive (Lindley).
Season
Coxe gives the ripening time as the latter end of August. Lindley gives it as about the middle of September. The discrepancy likely reflects climate differences between the American mid-Atlantic (Coxe) and English conditions requiring a wall (Lindley).
Keeps only a few days after gathering. In a week or ten days after being gathered, it begins to rot at the core (Lindley).
Uses
Coxe notes that its value is much lessened by its ripening at the same time as the Seckle and several other pears of high reputation. Despite this competitive timing, when free from the tendency to crack, Coxe considers it a very estimable fruit. Lindley concurs in its excellence, noting it has been cultivated across Europe for centuries for the size and delicious flavour of its fruit.
Subtypes/Variants
The Germans distinguish two varieties, the large and the small. Whether both exist in England is, according to Lindley, not certain; but the old figure in Batty Langley's Pomona (t. 65) is so unlike the common form of Summer Bon Chrétien that Lindley suggests it is possible they do.
Coxe lists a separate entry, No. 21, as "Summer Bon Chrétien, or Gracioli" alongside No. 18, "Musk Summer Bon Chrétien, or Large Sugar Pear," suggesting at least two distinct forms or names were in circulation in early nineteenth-century American cultivation, though no separate description of No. 21 was provided.
Other
George Bunyard & Co. Catalog (1914):
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Summer Bonchretien.— .. " " " ..
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as 18. Musk Summer Bon Chretien, Or Large Sugar Pear
- Lindley, Pomologia Britannica Vol. 1 (1841) — listed as THE SUMMER BONCHRETIEN PEAR
View original book sources (3)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- MUSK SUMMER BON CHRETIEN, OR LARGE SUGAR PEAR.
This is a large and handsome fruit, of very irregular form; the shape is oblong, swelled in the middle, and diminishing towards each end, but more towards the stalk, which is long and large, and frequently inserted on one side; the flesh is rich, melting, and of a highly musked taste, saccharine and waxy, yielding an uncommonly fine odour; the skin is very smooth, of a yellowish green, clouded with clusters of black spots.
It frequently cracks in the skin, which diminishes its excellence; when free from this defect, it is a very estimable fruit. The leaves are large and smooth, the tree of vigorous growth: it is often mis-named the Jargonelle in this country; the time of ripening, the latter end of August; its value is much lessened by its ripening with the Seckle, and several other pears of high reputation.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Musk Summer Bon Chretien, Or Large Sugar Pear", pp. 282–283]
- MUSK SUMMER BON CHRETIEN, OR LARGE SUGAR PEAR.
This is a large and handsome fruit, of very irregular form; the shape is oblong, swelled in the middle, and diminishing towards each end, but more towards the stalk, which is long and large, and frequently inserted on one side; the flesh is rich, melting, and of a highly musked taste, saccharine and waxy, yielding an uncommonly fine odour; the skin is very smooth, of a yellowish green, clouded with clusters of black spots.
It frequently cracks in the skin, which diminishes its excellence; when free from this defect, it is a very estimable fruit. The leaves are large and smooth, the tree of vigorous growth: it is often mis-named the Jargonelle in this country; the time of ripening, the latter end of August; its value is much lessened by its ripening with the Seckle, and several other pears of high reputation.
[Additional entry in this volume: "No. 21. Summer Bon Chretien, or Gracioli", pp. 286–286]
No. 21. Summer Bon Chretien, or Gracioli.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Musk Summer Bon Chretien, or Sugar Pear", pp. 277–277]
No. 18. Musk Summer Bon Chretien, or Sugar Pear.
[Additional entry in this volume: "No. 18. Musk Summer Bon Chretien, or Sugar Pear", pp. 277–277]
No. 18. Musk Summer Bon Chretien, or Sugar Pear.
— John Lindley, Pomologia Britannica, Vol. 1 (1841)THE SUMMER BONCHRETIEN PEAR.
Summer Bonchretien. Parkinson's Paradisus, 590, fig. 7. Forsyth's Treatise, ed. 5, p. 141. Boncretien. Miller's Dict. ed. 8, no. 24. Bonchretien d'Été. Duhamel Traité des Arbres Fr. vol. ii. p. 217, t. 47, f. 4. Knoop Pomolog. p. 99, t. 14. Mayer's Pomona Austriaca, vol. iii. t. 82. Noisette Jardin Fruit, p. 111, t. 41. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 136. Die Sommer Christbirne. Kraft's Pomon. Austriaca, vol. i. p. 38, t. 82. Serrurier Fruitkundig Woordenboek, vol. ii. p. 234. Die gute Christbirne. Sickler's Obstgärtner, vol. i. p. 287. t. 15. Christ's Pomolog. Handwörterbuch, p. 166. Sommer gute Christenbirne, grosse. Baumann Taschenbuch des verständigen Gärtners, p. 425.
A valuable, well-known Autumn Pear, the origin of which is lost in the darkness of antiquity. It has long been cultivated all over Europe, for the sake of the size and the delicious flavour of its fruit; but in this country its place is too often supplied by inferior varieties, whose merit is more frequently novelty than excellence. By some Pomologists it is supposed to be the Regalia of Valerius Cordus; the Piri di Gacemella of Agostino Gallo; and the Domestica, Pentagonum perelegans, and Pugillanum Bollense, of John Bauhin. If these conjectures be correct, its origin must be dated as far back, at least, as the beginning of the sixteenth century, and probably much higher. It is quite certain that it has found a place in every work of consequence for the last 150 years. Upon the continent it is known by a great number of different names. In Italy it is called Gracioli and Gratiola di Roma; in Holland, Zomer Safraan, Apotheker Peer, Kanneelpeer, Sucker Kandijpeer, Kanjerweel, Kruidkanjerweel, Marsepeinpeer, and Schager Magd; in some parts of Germany, Malvasierbirne and Strasburgerbirne; in Württemberg and Anspach it has the name of Zuckerbirne; in Thuringia, of Zuckeradenbirne; and, finally, in Vienna, it is known by the name of Plutzerbirne, from its resemblance in form to a wine-flask.
The Germans distinguish two varieties of this, the large and the small: whether they both exist in this country is not certain; but the old figure in Batty Langley's Pomona, t. 65, is so unlike the common form of the Summer Bonchretien, that it is possible they do.
This requires a south-east or west wall, and will not succeed in this country as a standard. It does not bear well on a quince stock, but should be always worked on a pear. Ripens about the middle of September, and keeps a few days only. In a week or ten days after being gathered, it begins to rot at the core.
Wood long, flexuose or zigzag, smooth, with prominent buds, forming a drooping tree, like the Jargonelle.
Leaves roundish, with a point, smooth, flat, slightly and regularly serrated; when young, very thin and pale green on both sides, by which it is readily distinguished from the Jargonelle, in which they are at that time, of a thick, cottony texture.
Flowers the largest among Pears.
Fruit produced upon the extremities of young branches, which must be borne in mind in pruning the tree; varying from 3½ to 4½ inches in length, and from 2½ to 3 inches in breadth across the widest part, exceedingly knobby and irregular in outline, particularly about the eye, quite blunt at the base.
Skin, when fully ripe, of a pale lemon-colour, very slightly tinged with red on the sunny side, and covered all over pretty regularly with small green dots.
Eye prominent, small. Flesh yellowish, breaking, firm, juicy, very sweet and excellent. Core very small, placed near the eye. Seeds all abortive.
The specimen figured was communicated by Mr. Fairbairn, from the Garden of His Royal Highness Prince Leopold, at Claremont.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Summer Bonchretien.— .. " " " ..