SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 317 



PEARS. 



DOYENXE D'ETE. 



Secretary E. Williams, of the New Jersey Ilorticulturcal Society, who has an 

 experimental pear-orchard refers to Doyenne d'Etc ripening about July 20, as 

 ''best and earliest," and ''unlike most pears it is not improved by house- 

 ripening, attaining a higher degree of perfection if ripened on the tree." 



THE DUCIIESSE. 



Fuller, in his Pear Culturist, relates the following bit of romance in 

 connection with the celebrated Duchesse d' Angouleme pear : A French noble- 

 man, observing his tenant about to destroy a fine, thrifty pear tree, inquired 

 the cause. He was told that it was a chance seedling, and had borne no fruit 

 in twenty years. He had already cut its roots preparatory to the first stroke, 

 but was ordered to let it remain. He did so, and in the following year it was 

 loaded with superb fruit of an entirely unknown variety, which at once became 

 celebrated. The root pruning the gardener had given it worked like a charm. 

 Not many years afterwards, when the Duchesse d' Angoulume was passing 

 through Lyons, its inhabitants sent to her their hospitalities. Nine fair 

 maidens presented the Duchesse with golden salvers, on which lay heaped this 

 precious fruit, and begged her to bestow on it her name ; and the pear, now 

 recognized as the crowning glory of all fruits, was thenceforword known as the 

 Duchesse d' Angouleme. 



THE LAWRENCE. 



The Germantown Telegraph has this to say of this valuable pear: This 

 pear does not receive as much attention by general growers as it deserves, 

 though it is beginning to be appreciated. AVe have few superior in point of 

 quality or for keeping late, and none in its early fruiting and steadiness of 

 bearing, or in the hardines of the tree. It is very accommodating too in 

 ripening. It commences to mature in the latter part of October and goes on, 

 as it is exposed to a warm atmosphere or kept in a dark, cool place of even 

 temperature, up to February I We should suppose it would be just the pear 

 for general cultivation among farmers, who, if they would give it the same 

 attention they give to other crops of the farm, would be sure to get abundance 

 of excellent fruit. The tree can be obtained at almost every nursery, and we 

 commend it to the attention of our agricultural readers as a substantial 

 acquisition in the pear line and not a fancy article. 



If we were to be asked to name the best pear for general cultivation, we 

 should unhesitatingly say the Jjawrence. 



