NEW VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 265 



H 



PEARS 



&eem to yield more reluctantl}' than most other fruits to the ameliorating iiiflii- 

 ■cnces of cultivation, and since the days of Van Mons, of Belgium, and of the 

 amateurs of our country whose operations may be supposed, in some degree at 

 least, to have been inspired by his enthusiasm, or by its results, there seems to 

 have been, to a great extent, a lull in the eSbrt for artificial production of new 

 varieties of this fruit, in corroboration of which we may call attention to the 

 fact, that since the introduction of Dana's Seedlings and Clapp's Favorite, we 

 hear of no introductions of new pears, past, present, or jDrospective, other than 

 from accidental sources, unless it be some of the numerous ones constantly 

 ■coming to us from Europe. 



data's hovet 



tannot properly be spoken of as a new pear, and yet it is so seldom planted in 

 our State that we are compelled to suppose that its very high quality and great 

 merits generally as an amateur fruit, are not properly understood. We the 

 more readily accept this supposition, for the reason that it fills a season, for at 

 least a portion of which, it may be said to have, at present, no proper com- 

 petitor. Though rather small for a market fruit, it is of the very highest 

 ♦quality. Season November to January. 



CLArP'S FAVORITE, 



altkongb introduced since the preceding, is much more generally planted, and 

 is assuming some prominence as a market fruit on account of its fine size and 

 showy appearance. Its chief drawback for such purpose is a very decided ten- 

 dency to rot at the core, as does the Flemish beauty, which is one of its parents. 

 Aside from this objection it may be said to have no superior, of its season, for 

 general purposes. 



EDMONDS 



i« a recent American pear, originating at Brighton, N. Y., as a chance seedling 

 «B the farm of Eliphalet Edmonds. Tke strong, vigorous habit of the tree, 

 and its productiveness, with the fine size and attractive color of the fruit, 

 eonpled with fine quality, indicate that it will prove a good market sort. Its 

 season — September — is the most serious apparent objection to it, ae it wilt 

 come when there is the greatest probable surplus of superior fruit. 



MOUNT A^ERNON 



is also a chancs seedling, which originated on the grounds of Samuel Walker, 

 of Hoxbnry, Mass., some time since deceased, and by liim named as above. 

 We are surprised that prominent nurserymen seem to be pressing this upoM 

 public attention, as it is by no means a new fruit. We well recollect that at 

 one of the latest meetiugs of the American Pomological Society, which Mr. 

 Walker attended (at New York in 1856 or 1858), this pear (as we understand) 

 was discussed, and some of its members thought it should be recommended by 

 the society, to which Mr. Walker very conscientiously objected, for the reason 

 that he thought it not quite good enough. Our surprise arises from the con- 

 sideration that so little progress has been made that to-day it is practi- 

 cable to pass a fruit upon the public as valuable and desirable that was not 

 thought good enough to warrant such a step fifteen or twenty years ago. Of 

 course, it is possible that Mr. Walker possessed the very unusual tendency te 

 undervalue his own production. Downing's work characterizes it as a very 

 U 



