Winter Bergamot
Pear
Origin/History
Originally imported from England. Also known in early American cultivation as the Townsend Bergamot and the Cape May Bergamot (Coxe, 1817). By 1903, Thomas listed the variety only as a cross-reference directing readers to Easter Bergamot, suggesting the two names were by that time considered synonymous or the variety had been reclassified under that name.
Tree
An abundant bearer (Coxe). Not otherwise described in sources.
Fruit
Size: Moderate.
Form: Round, flatted at the ends, a little diminished towards the crown.
Stem: Not described in sources.
Cavity: Not described in sources.
Calyx: Not described in sources.
Basin: Not described in sources.
Skin: Rough, with russet and iron spots scattered over it.
Flesh/Flavor: Taste pleasant, but deficient in juiciness and sprightliness (Coxe).
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.
Season
Ripens in December.
Uses
Not described in sources.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Other
Thomas (1903) provides no independent description, directing readers to Easter Bergamot instead. This cross-reference implies the two names were treated as the same variety by the early twentieth century, though Coxe's 1817 account treats Winter Bergamot as a distinct named variety with its own entry.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- WINTER BERGAMOT.
Was originally imported from England; it is sometimes called the Townsend Bergamot, and the Cape May Bergamot; the size is moderate—the skin rough, with russet and iron spots scattered over it; the shape round, flatted at the ends, a little diminished towards the crown; the taste is pleasant, but it is deficient in juiciness and sprightliness: it ripens in December, and is an abundant bearer.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Winter Bergamot. See Easter Bergamot.