Van Marum
PearVan Marum
Origin / History
Originated with Van Mons (Downing; Hedrick; Bunyard). Bunyard records it as a seedling of Van Mons that first fruited at Louvain in 1820, named after the chemist Van Marum; Hedrick gives the origin date as 1823. Bunyard notes that "the name Grosse Calebasse is now so firmly established in this country that it is probably impossible to revert to its correct original name." Elliott classes it as foreign. First published reference cited by Hedrick is Pomologie de la France 3:No. 125, Pl. 125 (1865).
Tree
Vigorous grower, productive (Downing; Hedrick). A very early and productive bearer on pear, with the fruit always fair (Elliott). Young wood reddish brown (Downing). Bunyard describes growth as moderate, rather upright, with fair fertility. Veitch's catalog calls it "a regular good bearer" that "requires a warm position." Bunyard adds: leaf elliptical, little up-folded, twisted, shallow, serrate.
Fruit
Size: Large to very large (Downing); large (Elliott; Thomas); enormous, 4¼ by 7 inches (Bunyard); very large, sometimes measuring six inches long (Hedrick).
Form: Oblong pyriform (Elliott; Downing; Hedrick); pyriform with a long neck (Thomas); long calebasse, uneven (Bunyard).
Stem / Stalk: Long (Elliott); rather long and slender (Downing; Hedrick); moderately long, very stout and fleshy, continued (Bunyard).
Cavity: Flattened (Downing; Hedrick).
Calyx / Eye: Large (Elliott; Downing; Hedrick); large, open (Bunyard).
Basin: Regular, shallow (Downing; Bunyard; Hedrick).
Skin / Color: Sources differ on color. Elliott: dull greenish yellow (and in his "Calebasse Grosse" entry, yellowish, dull green). Downing: yellow, rarely with a little red. Thomas: bronze-colored. Hedrick: yellow. Bunyard: skin rough; color entirely covered with a fine dark brown russet with an occasional red flush.
Flesh / Flavor: White (Elliott; Downing); white, liable to rot at the core, half melting, not very juicy, but sweet and pleasantly perfumed; rated "Good" (Downing). Hedrick: white, apt to rot at the core, half-melting, not especially juicy, sweet, aromatic; rated "fair to good." Thomas: coarse, fibrous; not juicy, pleasant. Bunyard: greenish, white melting, of good flavour in a warm season, extremely juicy. Veitch's catalog: tender flavour, melting and luscious, choice fine fruit. Elliott calls the flesh "hardy" and rates flavor as "good," noting that "its bearing, its recommendation."
Core / Seeds: Liable to rot at the core (Downing; Hedrick). Otherwise not described in source.
Season
October (Elliott; Downing; Bunyard; Hedrick). Late autumn (Thomas).
Uses
Exhibition or dessert (Bunyard). Baking (Thomas).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard records dimensions of 4¼ by 7 inches; Hedrick notes the fruit sometimes measures six inches long. Bunyard specifies that good flavor depends on a warm season, and Veitch's catalog likewise notes the variety "requires a warm position." Elliott's volume contains a brief separate entry under "Calebasse Grosse" (Monstrous Calabash): "Foreign. Large, pyriform, yellowish, dull green. October."
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as Grosse Calebasse
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Beurre Van Marum
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1911) from England
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Calebasse Grosse
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Beurre Van Marum.
Grosse Calebasse of Langlier, | Triomph de Nord, Triomph de Hasselt, | Boutielle.
Foreign. A very early and productive bearer on pear ; the fruit always fair. Fruit, large, oblong pyriform, dull greenish yellow ; stem, long ; calyx, large ; flesh, white, hardy ; "good ;" its bearing, its recommendation. October.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Calebasse Grosse", pp. 424–424]
Calebasse Grosse. Monstrous Calabash. Foreign. Large, pyriform, yellowish, dull green. October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Van Marum.
Beurré Van Marum. Grosse Calebasse du Nord. Bouteille. Monstrueuse du Nord. Triomphe du Nord. Triomphe de Hasselt. Poire Van Marum. Calebasse de Nerckman's. Calebasse Carafon. Calebasse Monstre. Calebasse Monstrueuse du Nord. Calebasse Royale. Calebasse de Holland. Calebasse Impériale. Calebasse du Nord. Calebasse Monstrueuse.
Originated with Van Mons. Tree a vigorous grower, productive. Young wood reddish brown.
Fruit large to very large, oblong pyriform. Skin yellow, rarely with a little red. Stalk rather long and slender, inserted in a flattened cavity. Calyx large, set in a regular shallow basin. Flesh white, liable to rot at the core, half melting, not very juicy, but sweet and pleasantly perfumed. Good. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Van Marum. Large, pyriform with a long neck, bronze-colored; coarse, fibrous; not juicy, pleasant—baking. Late autumn.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)GROSSE CALEBASSE. Verger III., 30. F. Van Marum. Exhibition or dessert. October, enormous, 4¼ by 7, long calebasse, uneven. Skin, rough. Colour, entirely covered with a fine dark brown russet with an occasional red flush. Flesh, greenish, white melting, of good flavour in a warm season, extremely juicy. Eye, large, open, in a regular shallow basin. Stem, moderately long, very stout and fleshy, continued. Growth, moderate, rather upright ; fertility, fair. Leaf, elliptical, little up-folded, twisted, shallow, serrate. Origin, a seedling of the Van Mons and first fruited at Louvain in 1820. Named after the chemist, Van Marum. The name Grosse Calebasse is now so firmly established in this country that it is probably impossible to revert to its correct original name.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Van Marum.
- Pom. France 3:No. 125, Pl. 125. 1865.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 873. 1869. Calebasse Grosse.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 541. 1884.
Originated by Van Mons in 1823. Tree vigorous, productive. Fruit very large, sometimes measuring six inches long, oblong-pyriform, yellow; stem rather long, slender; cavity flattened; calyx large; basin shallow, regular; flesh white, apt to rot at the core, half-melting, not especially juicy, sweet, aromatic; fair to good; Oct.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)large, tender flavour; melting and luscious; choice fine fruit; a regular good bearer; requires a warm position.