THE PEAR STOCK. 221 



Hubbardston Nonesuch, the Rhode Island Greening, and other 

 New England apples. The Mother apple, of Bolton, Massachu- 

 setts, is a very fine apple, and grown upon our soil. 



I was a little struck with the gentleman's remarks about the 

 Gravenstcin. We thought it was going to lead the fall apples 

 when we first cultivated it, but of late years, it does not seem to 

 bear well, and people are dissatisfied with it. We had the same 

 difficulty with the Flemish Beauty. It was a noble pear when 

 we first began to raise it, on young trees, but as the trees grew 

 old, the fruit deteriorated and became small. I recollect that 

 at one of the exhibitions of our Society, there was a large dish 

 of Flemish Beauties upon the table, but they were not one 

 quarter the size they usually are, and I was troubled by indi- 

 viduals who came to me to know why the fruit was not marked 

 correctly upon the table ; they could not believe it was the 

 Flemish Beauty. And it not only deteriorates in size, but it 

 cracks. I do not think it reliable. 



We have a good many pears that do very well in a sheltered 

 garden, but not in the open country. You cannot raise 

 Gansel's Bergamot, that delicious pear, in the country, nor can 

 you do well with the Winter Nelis, for that is a pear that is 

 variable ; but if you want a pear that is almost, I may say 

 quite, as melting and juicy, take the Lawrence pear, which 

 originated on Long Island, and is a hardy pear. 



In England they do not believe in raising stocks for the pear 

 from their little shrubby pears, but use such pears as the Swan- 

 sea. Here we raise a great many of our pears from the little 

 Button pear for stocks. So far as my experience goes, I have 

 found that there are three pears, natives of this country, and all 

 of them of most splendid growth, that make the best stocks for 

 pears that I am acquainted with — the Blecker's Meadow, the 

 Rivers, and the Buffuni. 



Then, again, pears that have been cultivated out in the open 

 country are hardier than others. I think the Buffum, of Rhode 

 Island, is a very popular and good pear. That is a very good 

 pear for raising in open culture. 



I would say, with regard to those delicious pears called 

 Beurre Boscs, that three or four years ago, when the pears 

 were cut off very much, and all the buds of the Bartlett killed, 

 not only were the buds of the Beurre Bosc killed, but the 



