NOTES ON PEARS. 



NOTES OX PEARS. 



BY JOHN B. EATON, BUFFALO, NEW YORK. 



Want of leisure must be my apology, Mr. Editor, for not sooner responding 

 to your request for more " Notes." The past has been an unfavorable season for 

 testing new varieties, it having been remarkably cool and backward, with a larger 

 proportion of moist weather than usual. All fruits were much later in ripening 

 than ordinarily, and many sorts did not attain their best flavor. 



Pears made an enormous growth, and have been generally free from disease and 

 the attacks of insects. The severity of the winter of 1854-5, combined with the 

 cool and moist summer, appeared to have destroyed so many of the latter, that it 

 was quite an uncommon occurrence to find enough of them to cause any serious 

 injury. 



The blight has not prevailed to any great extent, that I have observed, having 

 seen but few thus destroyed by it, except in one instance where two rows of Glont 

 Morceau (in the nursery) became affected, and nearly every tree for some distance 

 was destroyed. This variety is more liable to the disease than any other that I 

 have tried, except Colmar (PAremberg, and it is rarely that a tree, which has been 

 attacked by it, can be saved. 



Several of the varieties noticed by me in a former article, as then fruiting for 

 the first time, have, this season, proved materially different, some of them being 

 much finer than last season, among these are — 



Ananas (TEte, larger than before ; more inclining to an oval form, and much 

 superior in quality. It is a beautiful pear; not very fine grained, but melting 

 and juicy. "Very good;" ripe about the middle of September. 



Beurri Gouhault was not as good as last year, being rather watery. I do not 

 think that it will prove to be of much value. Good ; middle or last of Sep- 

 tember. 



Bezi de Montigny, rather larger than usual, and " good;" first of November. 



Doyenne d''Ete, although small, is "very good;" not so large or so highly 

 colored, however, as I had been led to believe; beginning of August. 



Dearhornh Seedling is too small, and too apt to be insipid to be entitled to 

 much consideration. I scarcely think it worth cultivating. 



Dumortier was, this season, of nearly medium size, and really "good;" begin- 

 ning of November. 



Easter Buerre commenced ripening in November, with most of our winter 

 pears. A few specimens are, however, still in tolerable preservation, but will not 

 probably last beyond the middle of January. I have yet seen no indications of 

 its being "difficult to ripen." 



Glout Morceau is, in appearance, very fine this year, but I have not yet disco 

 an eatable specimen. They are without flavor, and inclined to decay. 



