SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 423 



pears. The Sheldon is another pear where excellence does not compensate 

 for plain appearance, and although a variable sort, we think it unequalled 

 for delicious quality, when at its best, surpassing even the Seckel. The latter, 

 however, is uniformly excellent, which gives it a great advantage. — Thus 

 says the veteran pomologist, J. J. Thomas. 



Good Winter Pears. — Josiah Hoopes says: Although not succeeding well 

 in every locality, we have here, in Pennsylvania a variety that yields almost 

 every year good crops of fine, handsome fruit. In the city of Reading, Pa., 

 where it originated, there is rarely a year when fine plates of this can not be 

 shown in midwinter. Coming at a season when one is not over particular 

 in regard to flavor, but is contented with plenty of refreshing juice, the 

 Reading seems to fill a place that somehow has before been vacant. When 

 well grown it is medium in size, with a very attractive yellow skin, and, were 

 it worthless in other respects, it might be retained for decorative purposes 

 on the table. A similar variety is found in the Columbia, another native 

 pear, from New York. This, however, is quite large, and, when fully ripe, 

 of a rich golden yellow, with often a delicate blush on the sunny side. A 

 serious defect is its proneness to drop prematurely. It is better in quality 

 than the Reading, although not what might be called a first-class fruit. An 

 enormously large French variety, that ripens readily during winter, but is 

 not good enough for dessert outside of its ornamental character, is the Catil- 

 lac. This is really one of the most attractive pears that we can have during 

 winter, and for cooking purposes it has no superior. Like the Columbia, 

 however, it is liable to be blown from the tree. 



A Bit of Color. — From the same authority we get the following note: — 

 At first glance we feel disposed to award the palm of superiority to quality 

 when selecting a list of pears for market purposes, but the experienced 

 orchardist knows a thing or two not generally set down in the books. Take 

 for instance such varieties as the Clairgeau and Bartlett, which combine large 

 size and beautiful color, and we have the perfection of a market fruit. On 

 the other hand, Anjou is far more reliable than the former, and, as a rule, 

 of much better quality, yet it will not sell so well on account of its usual dull 

 color. Many years of cultivation has made the Seckel almost like a "household 

 word " on our tables, and, although small, it combines extreme richness with 

 a rare hue that causes it to be greatly sought after. Flemish Beauty will 

 always command the highest price, if one can only manage to place it upon 

 the market before it decays. It is, however, a good pear when properly 

 ripened, but the process is extremely uncertain. When seen at its best, per- 

 haps no kind can exceed the Angouleme, but unless it is highly colored the 

 price will not be very remunerative. Quality is certainly a feature that may 

 not be overlooked in planting pears, but at the same time size and beauty 

 are indispensable. 



Pears for Preserving. — "Leroy," in Philadelphia Press, says that by 

 the word preserving we do not convey the idea as regards fruit that was 

 conveyed by the same word forty-odd years ago. Then fruit was mostly put 

 up with enough sugar not only to make it palatable but to insure it against 

 fermentation. A pound of sugar to one of fruit was the usual proportion, 

 and pears thus put up were sweet as honey. Now canning has mostly super- 



