PEARS FOR ORCHARD CULTURE. 



503 



the nursery rows. It forms its side branch- 

 es very uniform, and almost horizontally, 

 and forms a beautiful tree when grown as 

 a dwarf, or for pyramidal training. Ripe 

 from the middle of September to the latter 

 part of November. 



Washington is a seedling pear, of Ame- 

 rican origin, and of very higli qualities; 

 and had this been taken as a standard to 

 judge by, there are manj'^ seedlings at the 

 present day that would never have been 

 figured, or brought into notice. The Wash- 

 ington pear, when in perfection, certainly 

 has few superiors. It is beautiful and fair 

 to look at ; and it has a good, erect habit of 

 growth, particularly on old trees. The 

 wood has a light grey appearance, and the 

 bark is very distinctly spotted with white 

 dots. The fruit is of a size less than 

 the White Doyenne, egg-shaped, of a 

 fine yellow colour, with numerous gray 

 russet spots. It is ripe, in the vicinity of 

 New- York, about the last week in August. 

 This sort does not succeed on the quince 

 stock. 



SuRPASsE ViRGALiEU. This pear some- 

 what resembles the White Doyenne in its 

 habit of growth. The side branches on 

 young trees are, however, rather more up- 

 right. This sort, as far as I have been 

 able to judge, from specimens grown on 

 young trees, is a fine fruit, and a good deal 

 like the old Virgalieu, but rather more 

 round, with some few blotches of faint 

 red. It is not liable to crack, like the lat- 

 ter sort. There are no doubt some good 

 sized trees of this variety now in bearing, 

 in various parts of the country. Will any 

 person be so kind as to make the habits of 

 such trees known, through the columns of 

 the Horticulturist ? This sort grows well 

 on quince stocks. 



FoNDANTE d'Automne. This is another 

 variety of the pear that is highly spoken of 



by most cultivators, and, I believe, has 

 generally proved excellent. It is a mode- 

 rate grower, of rather an erect habit. The 

 young wood, particularly on young trees, is 

 of a yellow [ ? ] appearance. The fruit is of 

 moderate size, very melting, and good fla- 

 vor. This pear succeeds well on the quince. 

 Is there any person that has good sized 

 trees of thi^ variety, and will it be profita- 

 ble for market? 



Beurre Capiaumont is one of those pears 

 whose fair appearance has recommended it 

 as a profitable market fruit. So far as I 

 have had a chance to judge of its qualities, 

 I think it is one of those varieties than can 

 be dispensed with. It is seldom or ever 

 good to eat; and at the time it ripens, we 

 have many other larger and far superior 

 sorts. The wood is of a yellow colour; 

 leaves pretty deeply serrated ; fruit of ordi- 

 nary size, tapering to a sharp point, and 

 often with a bright red cheek. It grows on 

 the quince stock. 



Madeleine is considered one of our best 

 pears, ripening in July. It is a good strong 

 grower. When young, the branches grow 

 very erect, and it can generally be recog- 

 nised at once among other pears in the or- 

 chard, by its very straight, upright appear- 

 ance. The wood of this sort is of a dark 

 Colour, with some few light gray specks. 

 The size of the fruit is small. It keeps but 

 a short time, and does not yet seem to be 

 plenty in our markets. It grows well on 

 the quince stock. 



Early Catherine. There are few early 

 pears, ripening in July, which yield a bet- 

 ter remuneration to the planter than this 

 sort will. The trees grow to a large size, 

 with long, pendant branches; and when 

 they come into bearing, they produce very 

 large crops. The Early Catherine is well 

 known in the New-York and Philadelphia 

 markets. I have often eaten this pear, and 



