Winter Nelis pear

Fruit of the Winter Nelis pear (watercolor from USDA)
Pomological Watercolor POM00007059
Cultivar	'Winter Nelis'
Origin	Belgium, early 1800's(Jean Charles Nelis)

The Winter Nelis pear is a deciduous pear tree growing to 8m depending on rootstock, and is sparse and spreading in form. It is not frost tender. Its flowers are self sterile and a pollinator tree is required that flowers at a similar time (its flowering group is D or 4). It is a late-season dessert pear. The fruit are medium in size and have outstanding storage properties for a pear, easily keeping for a couple of months. Hoggs Fruit Manual (1880s) describes it as one of the richest flavoured pears, flesh being yellowish, fine-grained, buttery and melting, with a rich, sugary and vinous flavour and a fine aroma. The pear is named after Jean Charles Nelis, who raised it from seed in the early 19th century. It was introduced to England in 1818 and to the USA in 1823

Winter Nelis pear, from The Pears of New York (1921) by Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick