l6 THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 



English nurseries; and still later, 1849, the importation of a great number 

 of new varieties from America. To Americans, it is particularly significant 

 to note that the great progress of the pear in France is due to amateur 

 tendance and not commercial success. 



THE PEAR IN BELGIUM 



Providence ordained Belgium to produce the modern pear. The 

 evolution of the pear proceeded slowly, indeed, until its culture became 

 common on the clayey and chalky soils in the cool, moist climate of Belgium, 

 where flavor, aroma, texture, size, and color reach perfection. The pear 

 was improved more in one century in Belgium than in all the centuries 

 that had past. The part Providence played in endowing the Belgians 

 with an ideal soil and climate for the pear, is but one of two causes of the 

 results in improving the pear in this country. The other is that the Belgians, 

 ever notable horticulturists, give the pear assiduous care, cultivate only 

 the most approved varieties, and in breeding, aim ever at high quality, 

 so that Belgian pear-growers, as well as an ordained soil and climate, must 

 be given credit for the modern pear. 



The early history of the pear in Belgium follows step by step that of 

 the pear in France. In the sixteenth century, botanists were numerous in 

 the Low Countries, their zeal and activity showing forth in several of the 

 best of the early herbals. These herbalists, however, gave scant attention 

 to the pear. Dodoens, most noted Belgian botanist of the century, dis- 

 missed the matter of varieties with the statement that the names change 

 from village to village, and that it is therefore useless to give them. From 

 this we may assume that a considerable number of pears were cultivated 

 in Belgiiun at the time Dodoens wrote, about the middle of the sixteenth 

 century. 



Pear-breeding began in Belgium about 1730, when Nicolas Hardenpont, 

 1 705-1 774, a priest in his native town of Mons, made a large sowing of 

 pear seed with a view of obtaining new pears of superior quality. Time 

 is fleeting in breeding tree fruits, and the Abbe Hardenpont waited nearly 

 30 years before introducing his selected seedlings, and then, beginning in 

 1758, he introduced one new variety after another until a dozen or more 

 new pears were accredited to him. At least six of these are still grown in 

 Europe, but only one, the Passe Colmar, is known in America. But before 

 going further with the work of the Belgian breeders, it is necessary to take 

 stock of what was on hand before their time. 



