264 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the largest possible size must be attained by severe thinning out, 

 (connected with good culture,) and the fruit should remain on 

 the tree as late as the middle of October ; then pick carefully and 

 put in a cool dry cellar until near the time it is wanted to be 

 eaten ; then bring them, a few at a time, into a warm room and 

 keep for a week or fortnight in a closed box or drawer. By this 

 method, although never melting nor high flavored, it is crisp and 

 tender, perfumed, abundantly juicy, and of pleasant flavor ; while its 



Winter Nblis. 



coming after the autumn pears are gone gives it peculiar value. 

 They should be eaten before becoming soft enough to be easily in- 

 dented by the thumb. 



It possesses qualities specially fitting it for a market fruit for 

 cooking purposes, the tree being hardy, a great grower, an earlj' 

 and profuse bearer, and will bear more than almost any other 

 without severely checking its growth or lessening materially its 

 ability to bear the year following. It succeeds best grown on the 

 quince. Fruit long pyriform ; pale yellow at maturity. Like the 



