502 



PEARS FOR ORCHARD CULTURE. 



evidence to the contrary; for if we look 

 back, and examine the periodicals and works 

 on fruits for the last ten years, what do they 

 say? That a great many fruits are of su- 

 perior quality, new, and very fine indeed ; 

 in short, some works would have you be- 

 lieve they described hardly one which is 

 not first rate. But how many of these first 

 rate sorts, within the last five years, have 

 lost all of their high character they had 

 then? Now, one would supppose if they 

 had been first rate then, they would be so 

 at the present day. White Doyenne and 

 Bartlett were of that stamp then ; they are 

 equally good now. 



It will probably be safest to defer giving 

 an opinion on Louise Bonne de Jersey, as 

 regards its qualities for the orchard, on pear 

 stocks, until further trial, unless some per- 

 son, who has had it planted ten or fifteen 

 years, can give a decided answer. As re- 

 gards its growth, it may be classed among 

 the free growers, both on the pear and 

 quince stocks. Wood of a dark olive ap- 

 pearance; shoots erect; fruit of a long, py- 

 ramidal shape, about four inches long, and 

 two to three inches across, of a pale green 

 colour, and tinged on one side with dull 

 red. It ripens in the month of October. 



White Doyenne. This old and well 

 known variety is familiar to every person 

 who knows anything about pears ; and every 

 person allows that, when in perfection, it 

 has no superior. It is still grown exten- 

 sively by nurserymen here, and seems to 

 grow with as much vigor as it ever did, 

 although considered by some to be " run 

 out;'" though some phj'siologists, long ago, 

 would have it that its time had come, and, 

 like all living things, it must give up the 

 ghost, and give place to sorts of later ori- 

 gin. It does appear to be the case that this 

 variety, and several others, do not here 

 give us fair specimens of fruit ; but, as far 



as I am aware, the trees grow and flourish 

 as well as they ever did ; but the fruit of 

 this variety about here, is certainly not as 

 fair as it formerly was. This is not the 

 case, however, to the north and west of 

 New-York ; for our markets bear abundant 

 evidence to the contrary. As fine speci- 

 mens come to the New-York market as ever 

 did in former days ; and the high prices, 

 (four to six cents at retail each,) show the 

 estimate still placed upon " Virgalieus" by 

 the inhabitants of Gotham. There have 

 been various reasons given to account for 

 the cracking of this pear by many intelli- 

 gent cultivators, but it seems to me without 

 arriving at any very satisfactory results. 

 I have always been of the opinion, that the 

 cracking of the fruit is caused by a rust, or 

 dark spots that get on the foliage in the 

 early part of summer. The same discolora- 

 tion spreads on the yotjng fruit, and has 

 the same effect as the mildew has on the 

 gooseberry and grape. It is no doubt some 

 kind of fungus or mildew that spreads 

 over the tree. I have often observed, that 

 wherever this black smut or rust gets on, 

 the young pear ceases growing in that 

 part ; and as the skin grows hard, and does 

 not expand with the rest of the pear, it 

 either cracks open or causes an indentation 

 on the fruit. Now, if we could find some- 

 thing to prevent this black smut or mildew 

 on the foliage, I have no doubt but the Vir- 

 galieu pear would be just as good now, 

 about New-York, as they ever were.* We 

 have no variety, probably, more profitable 

 than this sort, where it grows exempt from 

 this fungus or rust. Eoth this variety and 

 the Gray Doyenne succeed on the quince 

 stock, and sometimes produce fine speci- 

 mens, when they have entirely failed on 

 the pear. This is a moderate grower in 



* Wood ashes and bone dust will cure this rust, which is 

 the outward symptom of a want of specific food iu the soil. 

 Ed. 



