38 



ORCHARD FRUIT CULTURE. 



their will, that a new fruit is better than 

 an old one, merely because it is new, when 

 the old one is really excellent. On this I 

 must tell you a story r , and a true one. 

 Two gentlemen residing in our fine Gene- 

 see fruit region, last fall sent, each, seve- 

 ral barrels of Virgalieu pears to New-York 

 to be sold. One of them called his pears 

 the " Virgalieu," the only name he knew ; 

 the other, to be precise, marked his <; White 

 Doyenne." In a few weeks, the consignee 

 returned an account of sales. The Virga- 

 lieus brought $12 a barrel; the White 

 Doyennes $6. The seller gravely remark- 

 ing, that they were both fine specimens of 

 pear ; but if the owner of the White Doy- 

 ennes had only sent his Virgalieus as his 

 neighbor did, he could have sold them for 

 just as much ! So much for a name ; and 

 much more for an ignoramus, to sell it ! 

 The story may pass for what it is worth. 



As in apples, experience having proved 

 that decidedly the best we have, for all 

 uses, are chiefly of American origin, so 

 it may eventually be with pears ; and my 

 own opinion is, that we shall ultimately 

 produce such varieties as may, with a few 

 exceptions, supersede the foreign varieties 

 now cultivated here. In excellence of qua- 

 lity, the Virgalieus, or Doyennes — White 

 and Grey, (and the latter I consider of the 

 highest flavor,) are in general reputation 

 unrivalled in the United States. None so 

 popular pears have yet been produced ; nor 

 is any variety more successfully grown in 

 western New-York, than these; and as 

 other varieties approximate to the Virga- 

 lieus in quality, so is the excellence of 

 such varieties estimated by all good fruit 

 tasters. And in their season, which, with 

 care, can be extended to quite two months, 

 no pear will compete with them on equal 

 terms ; and although they may temporarily 

 fail on the seaboard, from some as yet un- 



explained cause, they may succeed as long 

 and as well in the interior as any others. 

 With the exception of these, no foreign 

 variety exceeds in flavor the best of our 

 summer and autumn pears. For instance, 

 the Osband's Summer, the Bloodgood, On- 

 ondaga, Stevens' Genesee, Washington, 

 and Seckels, which, with the Bartlett, 

 Glout Morceau, and Winter Nelis, (Virga- 

 lieus included,) comprises a circle of pears 

 for summer, autumn and winter, that leave 

 little to be desired by the lovers of good 

 fruits. 



If to these be added a few other varie- 

 ties of select pears, of American origin, all 

 that the most fastidious amateur can de- 

 sire, in point of flavor and appearance, will 

 be comprised. 



A word upon American, as compared 

 with foreign pears : Our native pears al- 

 most without exception, are hardy, strong 

 growers, and profuse bearers ; while many 

 of the choicest of the European varieties 

 are not so, requiring great care and culti- 

 vation to produce them in perfection, and 

 in frequent instances a failure at that, — 

 owing, probably, to a change of climate 

 and soil, to which they are constitutionally 

 indisposed to assimilate. Still, when a 

 foreign variety is of unquestionable ex- 

 cellence, and of free growth, and prolific 

 bearing, I would by all means, to the 

 extent required of such variety, cultivate 

 them. 



It is in accordance with such opinions — 

 a certainty for uncertainty — that I have re- 

 solved to cut down my 70 or 80 varieties, 

 with very few and well proved exceptions, 

 and replace them with sorts which have 

 been long cultivated, and are certain in 

 their production, and acceptable to the con- 

 sumer. Those planted last year are al- 

 ready re-grafted ; and those of this year's 

 setting out, I propose to head down and 



