SECRETARY'S REPORT. 239 



matt'ers will notice that many sorts are omitted which are highly 

 spoken of in almost all our works on fruit culture, as for instance, 

 Bloodgood, Beurre Bosc, Beurre D'Aremburg-, Golden Beurre of 

 Bilboa and others, and it is believed there is sufficient reason for the 

 omission in lack of thrift, hardiness, or other requisite for our use. 

 Others still, as Dunmore, Dix, St. Ghislain, &c., good pears and 

 hardj'-, are omitted because they have no special merit, and are be- 

 lieved to be excelled by others which are described ; for it is an 

 object not to have the list so large as to confuse and hinder, rather 

 than help a judicious selection, and some are omitted because we 

 do not know enough about them to say anything. A few are men- 

 tioned not to recommend them*, so much as, (being popular sorts 

 elsewhere,) to suggest caution with regard to planting these in 

 Maine. 



A word, however, may be first in place here regarding the 



Gathering and Keeping of Pears. 



Nearly all pears ripen with a finer flavor and texture if picked 

 early and matured in the house. There are a few which may ripen 

 upon the tree and be as good, like the Dearborn's Seedling for 

 example, but the number of such is very small. Some which are 

 nearlj' worthless if ripened on the ti-ee, become rich, melting and 

 delicious if .ripened in the house-. Gathering at the proper time 

 will, in nearly all cases, prevent the rotting at the core, which 

 otherwise greatly detracts from the value of many sorts, particu- 

 larly early varieties. It requires some practical skill to determine 

 the proper time to pick pears, and this must be learned by obser- 

 vation and experience. As a general rule early pears are best if 

 picked about ten days before they would ripen on the tree ; for some, 

 a week would answer, and others are better if plucked at a fort- 

 night before maturity. If the season is of usual and equable 

 moisture, a good rule is to take ofi" the fruit when the stem will 

 part easily from the spur upon its being turned up at a right angle. 

 If it be a dry time in August or September, be cautious about 

 acting upon t'.is rule, as a heavy rain at this season often causes 

 them again to adhere firmly. They should not be picked until the 

 full size is attained, nor on a wet day. Old Thomas Tusser in his 

 " Five nundred points of Good Husbandry," in treating of the 

 labors of September, says : 



