VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH
Pear
VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH
Origin/History
About the year 1829, the late Mr. Manning, Gen. Dearborn, and Wm. Kenrick, with the zeal they ever manifested in pomological science, opened a correspondence with Dr. Van Mons of Belgium, seeking some of the new and fine varieties of pears he had originated. Their request for scions was most liberally complied with, and in the spring of 1831, upwards of seventy varieties were received, embracing, as Dr. Van Mons stated, the sorts which possessed the "greatest merit" in his extensive collection; among them, the Spoelberch. With the scions, Dr. Van Mons sent a copy of his Pomographie Belgique Moderne, which contained lithographed figures of several of his choicest seedlings, and also several parts of the Revue des Revues, a work in which complete descriptions of all his best pears were to be given by himself. Gen. Dearborn immediately made a translation of the descriptions of those which Dr. Van Mons designated as the best, and VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH was one of the number.
The first package of scions was so long delayed on passage that nearly or quite all died. A duplicate lot was forwarded, but VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH was among those that never survived. It first fruited in Hovey's collection in 1845, from trees received from Jersey, and had not fruited in any of the collections around Boston until that date, despite the high character given to the variety and the considerable anxiety of cultivators to possess it. It proved to be an exceedingly rich and delicious pear, somewhat of the character of the Winter Nelis. The variety was named in honor of the Vicomte de Spoelberch, a member of the Botanical and Agricultural Society of Louvain. Dr. Van Mons described it as "decidedly a winter fruit."
Tree
Moderately vigorous, erect, and of rather compact habit, with the ends of the branches inclining towards the main stock; branches upright. Annual shoots rather stout, wrinkled, and contorted. Flourishes either upon the pear or quince stock. Comes into bearing early and is a productive variety. Hovey's specimens were from a small tree upon the quince, about four years from the bud or graft.
Wood: Yellowish brown, stout, short-jointed, and thickly sprinkled with grayish white specks. Annual shoots woolly. Buds large, short, broad, pointed, and flattened. Flower-buds large, oblong-oval.
Leaves: Large, elongate, pointed, smooth, dark green, narrower towards the end than at the base, recurved, and somewhat folded, irregularly and rather obtusely serrated. Petioles short and rather slender.
Flowers: Medium size, very slightly cupped; petals oblong.
Fruit
Size and Form: Large, about three inches long and two and a half in diameter (Hovey). Elliott concurs: large. Form obovate, full, and slightly flattened around the eye, swollen towards the middle, and contracted near the stem, where it is also a little flattened (Hovey); Elliott describes the form as obovate obtuse pyriform.
Stem: Rather long, about one and a half inches, stout, swollen, curved, and obliquely attached to the fruit by a fleshy junction (Hovey). Long, stout, and fleshy at the base (Elliott).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Medium size; segments of the calyx short and stiff, projecting (Hovey). Calyx medium; segments short, erect (Elliott).
Basin: Small and round, moderately sunk (Hovey).
Skin: Fair, slightly rough, greenish yellow, becoming of a fine lemon yellow when mature, washed and marbled, or blotched, with purplish red on the sunny side, somewhat russeted in patches extending from the stem, and covered with small, greenish brown specks (Hovey). Pale yellow when mature, with a little red in the sun, and russet patches and specks (Elliott).
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh white, fine, buttery, melting, and very juicy (Hovey); white, fine-grained, buttery, melting, juicy, and sugary (Elliott). Flavor rich, sprightly, saccharine, and delicious, with a very high perfume (Hovey). Rated "best" by Elliott.
Core: Medium size.
Seeds: Medium size, dark, nearly round.
Season
Ripe in December, keeps into January. Dr. Van Mons called it "decidedly a winter fruit," sometimes keeping till spring.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — The following entry appears in F.R. Elliott's The Western Fruit Book (1865) and is headed "Delices de Mons." Its description conflicts substantially with Elliott's own separate VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH entry on multiple points: fruit is medium rather than large; stem is a half-inch rather than long and stout; skin is yellowish green rather than pale yellow; flesh is yellowish rather than white; and season is September–October rather than December. Elliott does not list Delices de Mons among the synonyms in his VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH entry, nor does he list Vicomte de Spoelberch among the synonyms here. This entry most likely describes a distinct variety that shares a Van Mons geographic naming convention with VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH and should not be conflated with it.]
Elliott, "Delices de Mons": Fruit, medium, pyriform, uneven surface; stem, half-inch long; calyx, small; skin, yellowish green in shade, russet in sun, dotted and spotted with gray; flesh, yellowish, melting, juicy, perfumed; "very good." September, October.
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — The entry from A.J. Downing's The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) is headed "Délices Van Mons," with synonyms Délices de Mons and Délices de la Meuse; it makes no mention of VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH. Its description conflicts with both Hovey and Elliott on multiple counts: fruit is medium rather than large; season is October rather than December; flesh is described as coarse at the core rather than fine-grained; and quality is rated "good or very good" rather than "best." The variety may share the broad "Mons" / "Van Mons" naming cluster with VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH but appears to be a distinct pear, and its details should not be used to characterize VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH.]
Downing, "Délices Van Mons" (syn. Délices de Mons; Délices de la Meuse): Date of origin unknown; first described simply as Délices. Tree a healthy free grower; young wood dull grayish yellow brown. Fruit medium, ovate obovate pyriform; surface somewhat uneven. Skin pale yellow, with a shade of crimson in the sun, nettings of russet, and numerous brown dots. Stalk rather long. Cavity small, russeted. Calyx small, closed; segments short. Basin small, slightly russeted. Flesh white, coarse at the core, juicy, melting, sweet, pleasant, slightly vinous. Good or very good. October.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Délices Van Mons
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Delices de Mons
- Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852) — listed as THE VICOMPTE DE SPOELBERCH PEAR
View original book sources (3)
— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)THE VICOMPTE DE SPOELBERCH PEAR.
Vicompte de Spoelberch. Revue des Revues. (N. E. Farmer, vol. x.) Vicompte de Spoilberg, Despoilberg, } of some French Collections. Poire de Mons,
About the year 1829, the late Mr. Manning, Gen. Dearborn, and Wm. Kenrick, with the zeal which they ever manifested in pomological science, opened a correspondence with Dr. Van Mons, for the purpose of securing some of the new and fine varieties of pears which he had originated. Their request for scions was most liberally complied with, and, in the spring of 1831, upwards of seventy varieties were received, embracing, as Dr. Van Mons stated, the sorts which possessed the "greatest merit" in his extensive collection; and, among them, the Spoelberch. With the scions, Dr. Van Mons sent a copy of his Pomographie Belgique Moderne, which contained lithographed figures of several of his choicest seedlings, and also several parts of the Revue des Revues, a work in which complete descriptions of all his best pears were to be given by himself. Gen. Dearborn immediately made a translation of the descriptions of those which Dr. Van Mons designated as the best, and the Vicompte de Spoelberch was one of the number. In consequence of the high character given to this variety, cultivators were very anxious to possess it; but we believe, until 1845, it had not fruited in any of the collections around Boston. Unfortunately, the first package of scions received were so long delayed on the passage, that nearly or quite all died. Later, a duplicate lot of scions was forwarded, but the Vicompte de Spoelberch was one among the number which never survived. It first fruited in our collection in 1845, from trees received from Jersey, and it proves to be an exceedingly rich and delicious pear, somewhat of the character of the Winter Nelis. It was named in honor of the Vicompte de Spoelberch, a member of the Botanical and Agricultural Society of Louvain.
The Vicompte de Spoelberch is of moderately vigorous growth, and flourishes either upon the pear or quince stock. It comes into bearing early, and is a productive variety. Our specimens were from a small tree upon the quince, about four years from the bud or graft.
Tree. — Moderately vigorous, erect, and of rather compact habit, with the ends of the branches inclining towards the main stock: annual shoots rather stout, wrinkled, and contorted.
Wood. — Yellowish brown, stout, short-jointed, and thickly sprinkled with grayish white specks; annual shoots woolly; buds large, short, broad, pointed, and flattened: Flower-buds large, oblong-oval.
Leaves. — Large, elongate, pointed, smooth, dark green, narrower towards the end than at the base, recurved, and somewhat folded, irregularly and rather obtusely serrated; petioles short and rather slender.
Flowers. — Medium size, very slightly cupped; petals oblong.
Fruit. — Large, about three inches long, and two and a half in diameter: Form, obovate, full, and slightly flattened around the eye, swollen towards the middle, and contracted near the stem, where it is also a little flattened: Skin fair, slightly rough, greenish yellow, becoming of a fine lemon yellow when mature, washed and marbled, or blotched, with purplish red on the sunny side, somewhat russeted in patches extending from the stem, and covered with small, greenish brown specks: Stem, rather long, about one and a half inches, stout, swollen, curved, and obliquely attached to the fruit by a fleshy junction: Eye, medium size, and moderately sunk in a small round basin; segments of the calyx short and stiff, projecting: Flesh, white, fine, buttery, melting, and very juicy: Flavor, rich, sprightly, saccharine, and delicious, with a very high perfume: Core, medium size: Seeds, medium size, dark, nearly round.
Ripe in December, and keeps into January. Dr. Van Mons calls it "decidedly a winter fruit," sometimes keeping till spring.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Delices de Mons. Foreign. Fruit, medium, pyriform, uneven surface ; stem, half-inch long ; calyx, small ; skin, yellowish green in shade, russet in sun, dotted and spotted with gray : flesh, yellowish, melting, juicy, perfumed ; "very good." September, October.
[Additional entry in this volume: "VICOMTE DE SPOELBERCH", pp. 417–417]
Vicompte de Spoelberch.
Despoilberg, | Bezi de Spoelberch, | Vicompte de Spoelberg.
Foreign. Tree, moderately vigorous, branches upright, yellowish brown, with whitish gray specks. Fruit, large, obovate obtuse pyriform, pale yellow when mature, little red in sun, and russet patches and specks ; stem, long, stout, fleshy at base ; calyx, medium ; segments, short, erect : core, medium ; flesh, white, fine-grained, buttery, melting, juicy, sugary ; "best." December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Délices Van Mons.
Délices de Mons. Délices de la Meuse.
The date of origin of this Pear is unknown. So far as we can learn, it was first described simply as Délices. The tree is a healthy free grower, with young wood of a dull grayish yellow brown.
Fruit medium, ovate obovate pyriform. Surface somewhat uneven. Skin pale yellow, with a shade of crimson in the sun, nettings of russet, and numerous brown dots. Stalk rather long. Cavity small, russeted. Calyx small, closed. Segments short. Basin small, slightly russeted. Flesh white, coarse at the core, juicy, melting, sweet, pleasant, slightly vinous. Good or very good. October.