Windsor
PearWindsor
Origin / History
An old European pear. Bunyard reports Leroy's account in full. In that account Windsor was raised by an amateur in Holland from a seed of the Bonne Chretien d'Été, not far from the village of Hallemine. Hedrick, citing Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1869), says only that it originated in Holland. It was first described by Knoop in 1771. Bunyard gives Knoop's name as "Hallum Bonne" and Hedrick as "Hallemine Bonne." In French gardens it received the name Madame (Hedrick). In England Windsor is often called Cuisse Madame, in error according to Bunyard.
Hedrick records older notices. A "Windsor" that appears identical with the Windsor of Knoop is described by English writers as early as 1629, and Hedrick cites Parkinson for that year. Hogg quotes an English writer as saying, "It was raised from seed of the Cuisse Madame, by a person of the name of Williamson . . ." before 1750. The variety is mentioned in 1592 as cultivated about Naples, and in England in 1563. Hedrick concludes, "What the origin is appears undeterminable."
Downing calls Windsor "very commonly known in some parts of this country as the Summer Bell Pear." Thomas enters it under "Summer Bell, or Windsor," and Hedrick cites Thomas's American Fruit Culturist of 1885. Downing calls it a profitable market sort that bears regularly large crops and sells well. Bunyard judges it not worth growing.
Tree
Vigorous; Hedrick calls it one of the strongest growers. Upright and tall, making a large, upright standard (Bunyard). Thomas calls it a handsome grower. Shoots remarkably stout, perfectly upright, dark brown. Leaf large, round, held flat, sharply serrate (Bunyard). A regular and abundant bearer of large crops; Thomas calls it a great bearer, and Bunyard gives its fertility as good.
Fruit
Size: Large. Bunyard alone calls it medium, measuring it 2¼ by 3¼.
Form: Pyriform or bell-shaped, regular, widest above the middle, narrowing to the eye. Bunyard calls it oval pyriform.
Stem: Long, fairly stout (Bunyard).
Cavity: Wanting; stem inserted without depression (Bunyard).
Calyx: Eye open (Bunyard).
Basin: Wanting; eye set on a level, with prominent ribs around (Bunyard).
Skin: Very smooth (Bunyard). Yellowish green; greenish becoming pale yellow (Hedrick); "palest lemon yellow" (Bunyard).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: White, coarse-grained ("rather coarse-grained," Hedrick), with a somewhat astringent juice. Downing, Thomas, and Hedrick call the flesh tender; Downing adds "or soft," and Hedrick calls it buttery. Bunyard calls it crisp. Bunyard describes the flavor as slightly acid, with "no particular flavour." Downing judges it in quality, "from its acidity, almost uneatable."
Core and seeds: Rots at the core.
Season
August, the last of the month in the American accounts. Bunyard says it "keeps for so short a period that it is not worth growing."
Uses
Downing values it only as a cooking fruit, on account of its acidity; he places it in the market as a profitable sort. Bunyard classes it as a dessert pear.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1849) from Massachusetts
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Windsor.
Summer Bell. Belle d'Août. Green Windsor. Kongé. Lady Thigh. Grosse Jargonelle. Madame. Bell Tongue. Supreme. Madame de France. of some. Watermelon, of some.
The Windsor is an old European Pear, very commonly known in some parts of this country as the Summer Bell Pear. It is a profitable market sort, bearing regularly large crops, and selling well, although in quality it is, from its acidity, almost uneatable, and to be valued only as a cooking fruit. The tree is remarkable for its stout, perfectly upright dark brown shoots.
Fruit large, pyriform or bell-shaped, widest above the middle, narrowing to the eye. Skin yellowish green. Flesh white, tender or soft, coarse-grained, with a somewhat astringent juice. Rots at the core. Last of August.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Windsor. See Summer Bell.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Summer Bell, or Windsor", pp. 804–804]
Summer Bell, or Windsor. Large, pyriform, regular, yellowish-green; tender, coarse, astringent—rots at core. Tree a handsome grower and great bearer. Late August.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)WINDSOR. F. Madame. G. Windsor Birn. (Hallemine.) Dessert, August, medium, 2¼ by 3¼, oval pyriform. Skin, very smooth. Colour, palest lemon yellow. Flesh, crisp, white, slightly acid, no particular flavour. Eye, open on level with prominent ribs around. Stem, long, fairly stout, inserted without depression. Growth, vigorous; fertility good. Leaf, large, round, held flat, sharply serrate. Origin, according to Leroy this was raised by an amateur in Holland from a seed of the Bonne Chretien d'Été, not far from the village of Hallemine. First described by Knoop in 1771, under the name Hallum Bonne. This is often called Cuisse Madame in England, but in error. It makes a large, upright standard, but keeps for so short a period that it is not worth growing.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Windsor.
- Parkinson Par. Ter. 592, fig. 10. 1629.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 204. 1920. Madame.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:369, fig. 1869. Summer Bell.
- Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 571. 1885.
According to Leroy this variety originated in Holland, and was published in 1771 under the name Hallemine Bonne by Knoop. In French gardens it received the name Madame. In England, Windsor is often called Cuisse Madame. A "Windsor," which appears to be identical with the Windsor of Knoop, is described by English writers as early as 1629. Hogg quotes an English writer as saying, "It was raised from seed of the Cuisse Madame, by a person of the name of Williamson . . ." before 1750. Moreover, it is mentioned in 1592 as being cultivated about Naples, and 1563 in England. What the origin is appears undeterminable.
Tree one of the strongest growers, upright, tall, a regular and abundant bearer; shoots remarkably stout, perfectly upright, dark brown.
Fruit large, pyriform or bell-shaped, very smooth, greenish becoming pale yellow; stem long, fairly stout, inserted without depression; calyx open, set on level with prominent ribs around; flesh white, tender, buttery, rather coarse-grained, slightly acid, somewhat astringent; rots at the core; Aug.