756 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



Vetch, Narbonne — Vicid narhonensis L. 



Vetch, scarlet — Vicia fulgens* Battand. 



Vetch — VicUi sativa L. 



Vicia astropurpurea* Desf. 



Vicia hirsutd. (L. ) S. P. Gray. 



Vicia monanthos (L. ) Desf. 



Vicia pseudocracca* Bertol. 



Vigna repens Baker. 



Violet — Viola odorata L. 



Vitis serianwfolia (Bunge) Maxim. {Cis- 



sus aconitifolia) . 

 Walnut, Arizona — Juglans rupestris E!n- 



gelm. 

 Walnut, English — Juglans regia L. 

 Watermelon — Citrullus vulgaris Schracl. 

 Wax gourd — Benincasa cerifera Savi. 

 Wayfaring tree — Viburnuvi lantana L. 



Welch onion — Allium fcstulosum L. 

 Wheat — Triticiiiii (rstirnin Li. ( 7'. ii<iti- 



vum) . 

 Wild senna (coffee bean) — Cassia tora L. 

 vVillow, weeping — Salix babi/lonica L. 

 WiUuphhda scandcns (L. ) Kuntze Mika- 



nia scandens). 

 Wistaria — Kraunhiu sincsis* (Sims.) 



Greene. 

 Wire-grass — Eleusine indica* L. 

 Wood sanicle — Sanicula europwa L. 

 Wormwood — Chenopodium anthehiiinthi- 



cum * L. 

 Yam — Dioscorea illustrata Hort. 

 Ylang-ylang — Cananga odorata (Lam.) 



Hook & Thom. 

 Zamia floridana DC. 



-PEAR CULTURE -HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS. 



By P. J. O'Gara^ Pathologist, Medford, Oregon. 



The pear is without (ioiibt one of the most favorite fruits, although 

 in its wild state its astringent (qualities are so pronounced as to render 

 it unpalatable. Under cultivation it has become an excellent fruit for 

 all purposes, whether for dessert, for canning, for culinary use or in 

 the fresh state. The cultivation of the pear extends to the remotest 

 antiquity. It is mentioned in the oldest Greek writings and was culti- 

 vated by the Romans. It was common in Syria, Egypt and Greece, 

 and from the latter country was introducecl into Italy. The word 

 "pear" or its equivalent occurs in all Celtic languages, while we also 

 find it in Slavonic and other dialects ; and from this it is inferred that 

 cultivation of the pear, from the shores of the Caspian Sea to the 

 Atlantic, was practiced in very ancient times. According to Virgil, 

 Cato, Pliny and other Roman writers, the varieties in cultivation were 

 very numerous, and from the names of important varieties usually 

 referred to the countries from which the trees were imported. Unfor- 

 tunately, none of the old Roman varieties exist to-day, but from the 

 writings of Pliny we have every reason to believe that their best vari- 

 eties of pears were very poor in comparison with the choice varieties 

 under cultivation at the present time. 



The pear of quality really dates from about the seventeenth century. 

 However, it was not until Professor Van Mons of the University of 

 Louvain, Belgium, by his perseverance and indefatigable labors suc- 

 ceeded in producing an immense number of new varieties of pears by 

 selexitive breeding, that the growing of pears of commercial quality was 

 put upon a sound basis. His whole life was mostly devoted to pear 

 culture, and from among the 80,000 seedlings raised by himself we find 

 the finest cultivated varieties of to-day — such as Bosc, Diel and others. 

 The work of Van Mons has given the little country of Belgium the 

 title of "The Eden of the Pear Tree." The net results of his work 

 were given to the world a little more than one hundred years ago. 

 Another worker, Thomas Andrew Knight, an Englishman, by hybridiz- 



*This splendid paper first appeared in "Better PYuits," October, 1913, and its con- 

 tents applied so well to California conditions of pear growing that we obtained per- 

 mission from Mr. P. J. O'Gara to use it in The Monthly Bulletin, which he kindly gave 

 as well as the use of the cuts for illustrative purposes. — Editor. 



