THE WINTER NELIS PEAR.

Winter Nelis. Pomological Magazine, vol. iii. pl. 126. La Bonne Malinoise, Hort. Trans. vol. v. p. 408. Bonne de Malines, Hort. Trans. vol. iii. p. 353. Beurré de Malines, } Milanaise Cuvelièr, } Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. Etourneau, } Nelis d'Hiver, of some Collections.

The Winter Nelis deservedly ranks among the very best winter pears which have yet been produced. Though of only medium size and rather unprepossessing appearance, its peculiarly rich, sugary, and high-flavored qualities have gained for it a popularity surpassed by no other pear. As a hardy, vigorous, and productive tree, ripening its fruit freely and keeping well, it must be classed with the very few first-rate pears which we yet possess. Mr. Thompson remarks, that there are few varieties "upon the merits of which connoisseurs do not differ ; but that the Winter Nelis is one which all agree to be of the highest excellence."

This fine pear was raised by the Chevalier Nelis, of Mechlin, and was first introduced into English gardens by the London Horticultural Society, and described and figured in their Transactions, above quoted, as La Bonne Malinoise ; but subsequently this name was cancelled, and that of the Winter Nelis substituted, in honor of the originator of so superior a variety. For its first introduction to our gardens, we are indebted to the late Mr. Knight, who sent it to Mr. Lowell, in 1823 ; Mr. Manning received it from Mr. Lowell, and, from the Pomological Garden, it has been extensively disseminated.

The Winter Nelis produces very regular and good crops, and comes into bearing the fourth or fifth year : it seems to flourish in any situation, and on light soils, where some kinds do not succeed well, the Nelis proves to be excellent. It does not grow well upon the quince.

Tree. — Vigorous, irregular in its growth, some of the branches bending inward towards the main stem, while others assume a straggling and declining habit. The old wood thickly lined with small short spurs, as shown in our vignette, which is from a tree four years from the bud or graft. The tree is also very late in leafing out in spring.

Wood. — Dark brownish yellow, slender, short-jointed, and sprinkled with small grayish russet specks ; annual shoots always curved at the ends ; buds remarkably prominent, diverging, long, full, and sharply pointed : Flower-buds medium size, oval.

Leaves. — Medium size, very long and narrow, tapering to each end, folded, slightly recurved on the midrib, without serratures, and generally pendent ; petioles long and slender.

Flowers. — Large ; petals obovate, reflexed at the edges, tapering much to the claw.

Fruit. — Medium size, about two and a half inches long, and two and a quarter in diameter : Form, obovate, largest in the middle, rounding off towards the eye, and contracted near the stem, where it ends obtusely : Skin, rough, dull yellowish green, becoming yellower when mature, and nearly or quite covered with brownish russet, darkest on the sunny side, with a few dark specks interspersed over the surface : Stem, long, about one and a quarter inches, rather slender, largest at the end adjoining the branch, smooth, dark brown, and slightly sunk in a shallow cavity : Eye, medium size, open, and moderately sunk in a round basin ; segments of the calyx broad and pointed : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, melting, buttery, and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, highly perfumed, and delicious : Core, medium size : Seeds, large, nearly black.

Ripe in December, and frequently keeps till February.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Winter Nelis.

Nellis d'Hiver, Bonne de Malines, Beurré de Malines, La Bonne Malinoise, Milanaise Cuvelier, Etourneau.

Foreign. As a standard Winter pear, if we were to select but the one, it would be this variety. The tree is vigorous, though with slender diverging shoots; very hardy; an early prolific bearer on Pear or Quince. It requires rich, strong soil to produce good-sized fruit, and is well suited to extensive planting on our Western lands.

Fruit, medium, roundish obovate, narrowing towards the stalk; color, yellowish green, much covered and dotted with gray russet; stem, rather long, a little curved; cavity, narrow; calyx, open, with short segments; basin, shallow; core, medium; capsules, ovate; seeds, oblong pyriform, curved; flesh, yellowish white, buttery, melting, sugary, aromatic. November to middle January.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Winter Nelis.

Nelis d'Hiver. Bonne de Malines. Beurre de Malines. La Bonne Malinaise. Milanaise Cuvelier. Etourneau. Bergamotte Thouin. Colmar Nelis. Thouin. Colmar d'Hiver.

The Winter Nelis holds, in our estimation, nearly the same rank among winter Pears that the Seckel does among the autumnal varieties. It is a very hardy and thrifty tree, and bears regular crops of pears, which always ripen well, and in succession. Branches diverging, rather slender, dark reddish brown. It is a Flemish Pear, and was originated by M. Nelis, of Mechlin.

Fruit of medium size, or usually a little below it, roundish obovate, narrowed-in near the stalk. Skin yellowish green at maturity, dotted with gray russet, and a good deal covered with russet patches and streaks, especially on the sunny side. Stalk an inch and a half long, bent, and planted in a narrow cavity. Calyx open, with stiff, short divisions, placed in a shallow basin. Flesh yellowish white, fine-grained, buttery, and very melting, abounding with juice of a rich, saccharine, aromatic flavor. Best. In perfection in December, and keeps till the middle of January.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Winter Nelis.* (Nelis d'Hiver, Bonne de Malines.) Size rather small or medium, roundish-pyriform, often obovate, neck small and short; surface yellowish-green, much russeted; stalk an inch and a quarter long, bent; cavity narrow; calyx stiff, short; basin shallow, ribbed; flesh yellowish-white, fine-grained, buttery, very melting, rich, sweet, or slightly vinous, perfumed, aromatic, with an excellent flavor. Early winter. Growth slender, flexuous, and straggling; leaves narrow, recurved; petioles rather long. Origin, Mechlin, in Belgium. Fig. 737.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Winter Nelis. — Size medium, obovate, and often pyriform; color yellow, with blotches and spots of cinnamon russet; stalk one and one-quarter inches long, inserted in small narrow cavity; basin broad and quite deep. Flesh white, juicy, tender, melting, buttery, richly sweet, very good. Season, quite late. Double-starred in several States. Belgium.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

WINTER NELIS. Her. Pom., II., 38. F. Nelis d'Hiver. G. Coloma d'Hiver. (Bonne de Malines.) Dessert, November to January, medium, 2¼ by 2¼, round conical, a little uneven. Skin, rough. Colour, greenish yellow nearly covered with thin dark brown russet, increasing round eye. Flesh, greenish white, transparent, very juicy and sweet, delicately perfumed. Eye, open in a shallow even basin. Stem, rather long, woody in a narrow uneven cavity. Growth, weak; fertility good. Leaf, rather small, narrow oval, held flat, shallow serrate or entire. Origin, raised at Malines by Jean Charles Nelis, and imported into this country in 1818. This is one of the most valuable winter pears. It ripens slowly and successively, but is ready to be eaten before the green has changed much. It is best grafted on pear, and makes a nice standard.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

WINTER NELIS

1. Pom. Mag. 3:126, Pl. 1830.
2. Lindley Guide Orch. Gard. 409. 1831.
3. Kenrick Am. Orch. 199. 1832.
4. Mag. Hort. 10:127. 1844.
5. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 450, fig. 208. 1845.
6. Gard. Chron. 20, fig. 1845.
7. Proc. Nat. Con. Fr.Gr. 51. 1848.
8. Hovey Fr. Am. 1:15, Pl. 1851.
9. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 884, fig. 1869.
10. Oberdieck Obst-Sort. 339. 1881.
11. Lauche Deut. Pom. 2: No. 49, Pl. 49. 1882.
12. Hogg Fruit Man. 667. 1884.
13. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 301. 1889.
14. Deut. Obstsorten 5: Pt. 15, Pl. 1909.

La Bonne Malinoise. 15. Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc. 4:276. 1822. 16. Ibid. 5:408. 1824. Thouin. 17. Dochnahl Führ. Obstkunde 2:23. 1856.

Bonne de Malines. 18. Ann. Pom. Belge 6:77, Pl. 1858. 19. Pom. France 2: No. 53, Pl. 53. 1864. 20. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:484, figs. 1867. 21. Guide Prat. 60, 252. 1876. 22. Cat. Cong. Pom. France 202. 1906.

Nelis d'Hiver. 23. Mas Le Verger 1:29 bis, fig. 21. 1866-73.

Winter Nelis is the standard winter pear in the United States. Both fruits and trees possess several serious faults, but these are outmatched by virtues which make the variety preeminent in its season. The fruits are small and are often so poorly colored as to be unattractive, but well grown they are sufficiently large for dessert fruits and are very handsome in a much-russeted coat and a ruddy cheek. Flesh and flavor are the chief assets of the fruits. The flesh is tender, melting, juicy, luscious, with a rich, sweet, aromatic flavor one of the most delectable of all pears. The fruits keep, ship, and sell well. The season is from Christmas to March, but the pears can be kept until late spring in cold-storage. The trees begin badly, for no variety is more difficult to grow well in the nursery. They thrive only on standard stocks, refusing to do well on the quince unless double worked. In the orchard, the trees are among the unmanageables. They are small or of but medium size, with straggling, wayward tops with habits of growth so self assertive that no art nor skill of the pruner can bring the branches under control. The limbs are always crooked; some bend inward toward the main stem, some are upright, some droop, and no two behave in quite the same way. Notwithstanding the illy-shaped tops, the trees are often enormously productive so that the crop usually requires thinning. They bear almost annually; come in bearing young; are fairly hardy; and are adapted to almost any soil or situation provided, only, that the soil is fertile or well fertilized. They are as nearly immune to blight as those of any other European pear. The trees are characterized by two marked peculiarities: the old wood is thickly set with small, short spurs; and they are about the latest of all their kind in leafing out in the spring. There is no better winter pear for either the commercial pear-grower or the amateur, and the variety grows especially well in New York.

Winter Nelis was raised from seed by Jean Charles Nelis, Mechlin, Belgium, early in the nineteenth century. It was introduced into England by the London Horticultural Society under the name La Bonne Malinoise. Subsequently this name was cancelled and that of Winter Nelis adopted, the name which had been given the variety by Van Mons in honor of the originator. In 1823, Thomas Andrew Knight, President of the London Horticultural Society, sent cions of the variety to John Lowell, Roxbury, Massachusetts, who, in his turn, shared them with Robert Manning, Salem, Massachusetts, whence the sort was very generally disseminated in this country and attained great popularity. At the National Convention of Fruit-Growers held in New York in 1848, Winter Nelis was included in a short list of pears recommended for general cultivation. For more than half a century the name has appeared in the fruit-catalogs of the American Pomological Society.

Tree medium in size and vigor, spreading, hardy, very productive; trunk stocky; branches thick, zigzag, reddish-brown mingled with gray scarf-skin, marked with small lenticels; branchlets with short internodes, reddish-brown, dull, smooth, glabrous, with numerous raised, conspicuous lenticels. Leaf-buds medium to large, long, conical or pointed, free. Leaves 3 in. long, 1¾ in. wide, elongated-oval, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin varies from crenate to serrate; petiole 1½ in. long, slender. Flower-buds conical or pointed, free; flowers open late, 1¼ in. across, 6 or 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels ¾ in. long, rather slender, lightly pubescent, greenish.

Fruit ripe late November to early January; medium in size, 2¼ in. long, about 2¼ in. wide, uniform in size and shape, roundish-obovate to obtuse-obovate-pyriform, quite symmetrical except for the unequal sides; stem 1½ in. long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, russeted, gently furrowed, occasionally lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, short, broad, acute; basin shallow, obtuse, lightly furrowed, symmetrical; skin thick, tender, roughened with much russet, dull; color yellow with a tinge of green, dotted with grayish-russet and with many russet streaks and patches on the exposed cheek which is usually blushed with bright red; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, quite granular at the center and underneath the skin, tender and melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic; quality very good. Core large, closed, axile, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

WINTER NELIS. Fig. 99.

Winter Nelis is the standard winter pear in the United States. Both fruits and trees possess several serious faults, but these are outmatched by virtues which make the variety preeminent in its season. The fruits are small, and are often so poorly colored as to be unattractive, but well grown they are sufficiently large for dessert fruits, and with their russeted coat and a ruddy cheek are handsome. The flesh is tender, melting, juicy, luscious, with a rich, sweet, aromatic flavor. The fruits keep, ship, and sell well. The season is from Christmas to March, but the pears can be kept until late spring in cold storage. No variety is more difficult to grow well in the nursery, and in the orchard the trees are among the unmanageables. They are small or of but medium size with straggling, wayward tops with habits of growth so self-assertive that no art nor skill of the pruner can bring the branches under control. Notwithstanding the poorly-shaped tops, the trees are often enormously productive. They bear almost annually; come in bearing young; are fairly hardy; and are adapted to almost any soil or situation, provided that the soil is fertile; and are as nearly immune to blight as those of any other European pear. The trees are characterized by two marked peculiarities; the old wood is thickly set with small short spurs; and they are about the latest of all their kind in leafing out in the spring. There is no better winter pear for either the commercial pear-grower or the amateur. Winter Nelis was raised from seed by Jean Charles Nelis, Mechlin, Belgium, early in the nineteenth century.

Tree medium in size and vigor, spreading, hardy, very productive; trunk stocky; branches thick, zigzag, drooping, reddish-brown, marked with small lenticels. Leaves 2½ inches long, 1¾ inches wide, elongated oval, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin crenate; petiole 1¼ inches long, slender. Flowers open late, 1¼ inches across, 4 or 5 buds in a cluster. Fruit ripe November to January; medium in size, 2¼ inches long, 2¼ inches wide, uniform in size and shape, obtuse-obovate-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 1¼ inches long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, russeted, gently furrowed, occasionally lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, short, broad, acute; basin shallow, obtuse, lightly furrowed, symmetrical; skin thick, tender, roughened with russet, dull; color yellow, with many russet streaks and patches, the exposed cheek blushed with light red; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, granular at the center and underneath the skin, tender and melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic; quality very good; core large, closed, axile, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous but slender grower. Fruit small, roundish, obovate. Skin yellowish green. Flesh whitish, juicy, buttery, melting, sweet and of high flavour. Season December and January.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

medium size, yellowish-brown with russet, very juicy, melting and rich; one of the best late pears; excellent bearer and hardy.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)

Said to be native of Belgium. Flesh is Anis; yellowish when unripe. Prolific kind. Ripe October.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)