STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 129 



STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Dr. Hull offered the following resolution, which was adopted unani- 

 mously : 



Whereas, The office of State Entomologist has become vacant by the death of B. 

 D. "Walsh, and it is important that the vacancy 8hould be supplied by the appointment 

 of some suitable and competent person, 



liesolced, That the Executive Committee bo instructed to take this matter under 

 advisement and confer with the Governor thereon. 



Mr. P. Barry, of Eochester, was called upon for an essay on pears : 



Mr. President and Gentlemen : — I Iteg to thank you for the honor you have done me in 

 electing me a member of this society. As the speaker who preceded me said, you 

 have certainly a glorious State, and your organization, 1 am sure, will exercise a great 

 influence in developing its fnut gi'owing resources. I wish you great success in your 

 work. Your Secretary, when he asked me to come here, suggested that I should pre- 

 pare a paper on pears, etc., — a short paper. It would necessarily be very general, but 

 I prepared such a paper, and if it were not so late in the evening I would read it now. 

 It is so late that it will, perhaps, be best to give the main points of it and leave the 

 Society to follow it up by discussion. I was so hurried liy other matters that I had no 

 time to make a clear copy, and I do not know whether 1 shall be able to read it. 



I was recxuested to prepare a paper, to be read here, on the following topics, viz.: 



PEARS— GROWING, KEEI'ING, RIPENING, MARKETING, HABITS AND WANTS OF LEAD- 

 ING VARIETIES. 



It must be very evident that a paper, kept within the bounds usually allotted 

 to such, treating of all these points in the culture and management of the pear, must be • 

 quite general, and, hence, perhaps, of less value than a more detailed discussion of one 

 or more of these points. However, at the risk of consuming a few minutes of your 

 time, without much profit, I will proceed to lay before you a few observations which 

 may serve as a basis for some profitable discussion. 



The Pear, aside from its importance in a pecuniary point of \ lew, is one of the most 

 interesting of all the fruits we cultivate or that can be cidtivated in our climate. The 

 tree itself is beautiful in growth, in leaf, flower and fruit, and in all these particulars 

 presenting a wonderful variety. The fruit, the most delicious and refreshing of all 

 fruits, presents the same variety in size, form, color, texture and flavor, and season 

 of maturity, so that among the 2,000 or more varieties in cultivation, no two arc 

 exactly alike, as if to satisfy the varied tastes and predilections of man. No wonder 

 that the culture of this fruit has awakened so much enthusiasm both in Europe and 

 our own country. It would be surprising if it should not have found favor, even to 

 enthusiasm, amongst men wherever it can be grown. Is such a fruit not worthy ol 

 our patient study and care? 

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