510 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



much recommended. Brandywine, a delicious, spicy pear, originating 

 in Chester county. Clapp's Favorite, equal in appearance and almost 

 in flavor to the Bartlett; its chief trouble is its poor keeping proper- 

 ties, for a beautiful exterior may be but a shell concealing a rotten 

 and worthless heart; if gathered at just the right time, however, and 

 carefully handled, it is very good and one season, when Bartletts 

 were scarce, we used Clapp's Favorite for preserving, and I doubt 

 whether many persons would have noticed the difference. The Wash- 

 ington, a stray seedling found in a Delaware, hedge row and named 

 in honor of the Father of his country, varies greatly with soil and 

 location, but I have seen them nearly as large as a fair sized Bartlett. 

 rich in flavor and color. Belle Lucrative reminds one of "the little 

 girl who had a curl right in the middle of her forehead, when she 

 was good she was very, very good and when she was bad she was 

 horrid;'' they may be delicious and of fine flavor, but they may be 

 absolutely flavorless, hardly even sweet. The Flemish Beauty, as I 

 remember it as a child, was always cracked and imperfect — if one 

 could find a good bite, however, it repaid one for the effort! No 

 doubt, in these days of spraying, this trouble would be overcome, and 

 if so this pear would be a good addition to the family or the market 

 orchard. The Sheldon is a good pear and ripens well; it is fine in 

 flavor and juicy, rather larger than the Buffum though not so fine in 

 grain. Vermont Beauty is one of the new'er pears, very attractive in 

 appearance as its name indicates, and of good flavor and keeping 

 qualities. Of all the late pears I think there is none better than the 

 Urbaniste; it ripens on the tree or in the house. I have picked up 

 delicious fruit from the ground quite late in the season; the only 

 trouble being that it is a rather shy and uncertain bearer. Lawrence, 

 we have had until Christmas or later, with no other care than careful 

 handling and packing in straw in the cellar. Winter Nelis is a 

 rough-looking, smallish, brown pear, but juicy and very sweet. The 

 Rutter is rather large and coarse grained, but well flavored and late. 

 For a good late cooking pear the Vicar of Wakefield is considered 

 by some as second to none; it does not ripen until January. 



In giving the above list, I have omitted some excellent varieties 

 which it is now difficult to find in nurseries, and others which will 

 no doubt be named in the discussion to follow. 



In planting pear trees it is well to remember that a pear tree may 

 last for generations and, its situation should be chosen with this end 

 in view. Mr. Downing mentions several that were known to be ne^r 

 400 years old. Some varieties of standard pears make large trees. 

 We have a Catherine pear tree that is about sixty years old and, is 

 nearly as many feet in height, though this is not an advantage. 



The home orchard may return quite a fair profit from the .gale of 

 surplus fruit, especially if peaches are scarce, but even for the com- 

 fort and pleasure of the family every one should plant pear trees. 



In conclusion, let me remind you of the old saying to be observed 

 when eating pears: "Xever pare a pear." To all good rules, there are 

 exceptions, but the explanation given for this is reasonable and is 

 that the special flavoring sacs or glands lie very close under the 

 skin and are apt to be removed with the skin, therefore "Never pare 

 a pear." 



