THE KIND OF INFORMATION NOW WANTED IN POMOLOGY. 



263 



daring that it had proved with them every 

 way unexceptionable. Then another arose, 

 v/ith whom it had not done as well. The 

 former had raised it, I believe, invariably 

 on rather stiff, loamy soils, as at Salem, 

 Boston, Worcester and Hartford. The lat- 

 ter, on the sandy soil (probably,) of New- 

 Jersey. Yet, it was to be remarked, that 

 there were some pears whose merits were 

 questioned, that had succeeded perfectly 

 with him ; even better, perhaps, than in 

 those quarters from which the Glout Mor- 

 ceau was voted perfect. We should not 

 draw confident inferences from these facts ; 

 but they are valuable, as starting points, 

 from which the results of further observa- 

 tion may lead to an authentic list of varie- 

 ties, particularly adapted to culture on sandy 

 soils, or the contrary. In the discussion on 

 the Beurrc d'Aremberg, another straw was 

 lifted, which might prove a hint to rather 

 complicated, yet important inquiries; and, 

 as a matter of information, is worth " making 

 a note of." This pear was spoken of, as 

 unequalled as a standard tree, both at Bos- 

 ton and at Salem ; as a dwarf, however, it 

 entirely failed to give satisfaction at Bos- 

 ton, yet succeeding at Salem. Very curi- 

 ous cases, of similar character, are frequent- 

 ly observed. Is it a peculiarity of soil, or 

 of climate, or of cultivation, that occasions 

 this difference ? Until we are informed, 

 every man must take the chance for fail- 

 ure in trying it on his own ground, or must 

 substitute for it, if his space is limited, some 

 other variety, as the Louise Bonne de Jersey, 

 or the Glout Morceau, which are known to 

 be more invariably good on quince stocks. 

 From one of the most valuable commu- 

 nications, presented to the convention, con- 

 taining the observations of Mr. Mannice, on 

 several fruits, growing on the south shore 

 of Long-Island, it appeared that the Napo- 

 leon Pear proved very poor in that situation. 



In the garden of my neighbor, Dr. Cyrus 

 Perkins, this pear bears most abundant 

 crops of fruit, which, for its peculiar quali- 

 ties, was never surpassed. Both situations 

 are exposed to the sea, with similar aspects, 

 and within twenty miles of each other. 

 The difference is, probably, in the nature 

 of the soil ; one being sandy, the other 

 clayey loam. 



The fruit committee of the convention 

 very judiciously added to their list of first 

 rate fruits, a few of each sort, which could 

 be recommended as such only for certain 

 localities. I was sorry to see this objected 

 to by a few members. The studied results 

 of the labors of the committee room, should 

 not be rashly attacked. It seems to me, 

 that in this case, the exception taken was 

 indiscreet, and the arguments proved more 

 than they were intended to. It was said, 

 for example, that the Yellow Bellefleur Jl-p- 

 'ple had been tasted in perfection from a 

 tree in the garden of the late Mr. Bull, of 

 Hartford. This was evidence sufficient, 

 that it was equally first rate, and well 

 adapted to general cultivation there, as 

 anywhere ; although the delegates from 

 the Hartford society informed the conven- 

 tion that, under ordinary circumstances, it 

 did not flourish there as well as the other 

 varieties reported. But the tree referred 

 to grew in garden soil, in the hands of a 

 skilful and pains-taking man, in whose fairy 

 land it might almost be said, nothing ever 

 appeared that was not soon transformed, 

 under the magic of his culture, into an ob- 

 ject of beauty and value. Do not the facts 

 rather prove the correctness of the commit- 

 tee's information ? It seems to me, their 

 hint was just what is wanted. Was it 

 their business to ascertain what fruit might 

 be made ^^ first rateV^ I never saw finer 

 tropical fruit (though " I have wandered to 

 the farthest Ind,") than our lamented friend 



