SECRETARY'S REPORT. 265 



Minister apple, this fruit seems to have been named for the clergy. 

 It was first discovered in the woods of Clion, a natural seedling, 

 by a French curate, and is universally known in France at the 

 present time as " Le Cure." Soon after its discovery it was carried 

 to England, cultivated and disseminated by a clergyman of Wink- 

 field in Berkshire county, and received his title, by which it is 

 now most commonly known both in England and America. 



Winter Nelis. When well grown this pear, of Flemish origin, 

 is the most delicious of all our late varieties ; it needs good cul- 

 ture and severe thinning to get them of good size. The tree is 

 hardy, healthy and productive, but as it is a feeble and straggling 

 grower when grafted in the nursery, it should be grown by graft- 

 ing into the limbs of grown trees, and then, with care in pruning, 

 we may have good shaped and vigorous trees, which will bear reg- 

 ularly and well. Fruit of medium size, roundish obovate; skin 

 greenish yellow, covered with dots and patches of gray russet. 

 Flenh fine grained, very melting, juicy, and of honied richness. 

 Middle of December to end of Januarv. 



New Varieties of High Promise. 



The foregoing are not supposed to comprise all the desirable 

 sorts. There is a large and constantly increasing number of new 

 varieties which promise well, but which have not been sufficiently 

 proved here to enable us to speak with certainty of their adapta- 

 tion to the soil and climate of Maine : and yet mention of some of 

 them should by no means be omitted. As better sorts make their 

 appearance, the standard, by which we judge whether one be 

 worthy of cultivation or not, rises. A sort which would have 

 been thought very good twenty years ago, may not now be admit- 

 ted as worth growing. We do not want more kinds unless they are 

 better in some important respect. A few of the more pi-omising 

 of the new ones are : 



4 



Beurre Six. Of foreign origin. Tree vigorous and pi'oductive. 

 Pyriform, with angular sides. Flesh greenish white, exceedingly 

 fine. grained, melting and juicy, with a peculiar and very pleasant 

 flavor. It has fruited in at least two collections here, and may be 

 considered hardy enough, as in both cases the trees withstood the 



