408 



THE GROV/TH AND HABITS OF PEARS. 



and the seeds enveloped in a pulp." (Hort. 

 Brit., p. 513.) 



The reader has now before him a fair, 

 and pleasing specimen of the plan ; from 

 whence a sort of inference can be drawn, of 

 the general arrangement of the natural 

 classification. The subject may be again 



resumed, and other examples cited ; irsi 

 doing which, we hope to present to the 

 lover of nature some more of those exqui- 

 site productions which charm the senses, 

 and fail not to instruct the understanding. 

 AVm. W. Valk, m. d. 



Fli-shins, L I, Dec. 30, 1?4S. 



NOTES ON THE GROWTH AND HAEIlfS OF PEARS- 



BY WILLIAM REID, NEW-YORK- 



Sir — If you think the following remarks, 

 on some varieties of pears, worthy of a 

 place in the Horticulturist, they are at your 

 service. I trust they may be the means of 

 inducing some of the practical cultivators, 

 and others interested in fruits, to give us 

 brief descriptions of the habits of growth, 

 and other peculiarities characteristic of any 

 varieties of fruits they may cultivate. 1, 

 for one, shall always read such notes with 

 a great deal of pleasure ; and I have no 

 doubt there are many other readers of the 

 Horticulturist who will feel equally inte- 

 rested. There are a great many sorts of 

 apples, pears, plums and cherries, that al- 

 ways show a strong growth ; there are 

 many, again, quite the reverse in habit ; 

 some, again, will have drooping branches, 

 others erect ; and so far as I have been 

 able to judge, I believe that we have no 

 two varieties of trees that grow exactly the 

 same. If my supposition is correct, when 

 we receive a variety of fruit under a new 

 name, bearing a resemblance to one we 

 already possess, we have only to graft or 

 bud a few of each in the same row, and if 

 there is any difference in their growth it 

 will be discovered at a glance ; but should 

 there be no perceptible difference, I think 

 it would at least be safe to mark " doubt- 

 ful" to the new kind. 



But, to come to the point in a few words^. 

 what I would suggest is this- — to endeavor 

 to ascertain, from the different cultivators 

 through the country, the habit and growth 

 of the tree, as well as the quality of the 

 fruit, &c.; whether it is a strong or weak 

 grower ; whether it grows erect or droop- 

 ing. By taking as a criterion for pears, 

 Duchesse cf jlngnnleme as a strong grower, 

 White Doyenne as a medium, Wmter Nelis, 

 Beurre cfjlremherg, and Seckel, as slow 

 growers,(these being sorts generally known,} 

 we have then no difficulty in judging of the 

 habit of almost any variety. Examples 

 among apples may be taken in the same 

 Avay, viz., Baldwin and Rhode Isla?id Green' 

 ing as strong growers, Newtotvii Pippin 

 and Porter as weak growers. The follow- 

 ing varieties of pears include the principal 

 kinds that are of a drooping or weeping 

 habit when young, so far as my memory 

 serves me. There maybe some few kinds 

 of the same habit among the new sorts, 

 lately introduced, that I am not so familiar 

 with, as from recollection to be able to say 

 anything about them at present ; but I 

 will, at some other time, send you a few 

 remarks on other varieties that I am fami- 

 liar with, of upright growth : 



Maria Louise, I will begin with first, as i 

 think this variety might be styled Quee7i of 



