January 9, 1866. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDEN'EE. 



21 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



13USH PEAR TREES ON QUINCE STOCKS IN 

 YORKSHIRE. 



HE foUon-iiig are a few notes 

 on bush Pears on the quince 

 stock as grown amongst the 

 liills of Yorkshire, wlierc 

 the cUmate is not warm 

 cnougli to admit of the 

 successful cultivation of \\'heat : — 



Doyenne d'Ete makes a very short hut rohust gi'owth on 

 the quince stock, and bears an abundance of fi'uit, wliich 

 ripens about the 1st of August. The fi'uit should be gathered 

 before it begins to turn yellow. It will then be melting. 

 juicy, and sweet. It soon becomes mealy if kept more 

 than a day or two. 



Beurre Gitfard forms a small but compact busli on the 

 qnmce. The gi-owth is quite satisfactory. The shoots 

 require to be shortened to 4 or 5 inches in length about the 

 beginning of July, as the tree forms fruit-spurs sparingly. 

 The fruit ripens well, and is melting and juicy, -with a 

 tiavoiu- resembling the Jargonelle. 



The Jargonelle fonus a dwarf spreading liush on the 

 quince. It I'equires the same treatment as BcuiTe Gitiard, 

 and bears freely and regularly. Tliis tree bore fort}--four 

 good-sized Pears last autumn. 



Beurre Goubault makes a most beautifid busli, like a 

 forest tree in miniature. Bears abundantly and regularly. 

 The fiiiit ripens well, is juicy, melting, with a pleasing 

 aroma. It is ready for use about the first weolv in October. 

 This variety bore seventy fruit in lN(i4, and ninety iulN<i."), 

 Fondante d'Automne forms a beautiful vase-shaped bush, 

 bears freelv. and the fi-uit ripens well, and is nieltiug and 

 sweet, with a most agreeable aromatic juice. It is readv 

 for the table about tlie middle of October. Tliis bush 

 produced forty-eiglit fine fruit hi 180.5. 



Rivers's Summer BeuiTc d'-Vi-emberg gi'ows fi'ceh' on 

 the quince, is healthy, and shows no signs of canker. It 

 will be a free bearer, I tliink, because the tree is already 

 studded with fruit-spurs. A good hardy Pear is much 

 wanted to succeed Bem-re d'AiuauUs. and to be ripe about 

 tlie middle of September, between that Pear and Louise 

 Bonne or Fondante d'Automne. As Jlr. Rivers states tliat 

 tlie Summer BeiuTo d'j\j-emberg is ready for the table earlv 

 in September, and is of excellent quality, it will, no doubt, 

 form a valuable addition to our early autiunn fruits. 



Beui're Superfia makes a handsome spreading busli, 

 grows vigorously, and ripens its wood well ; but riitherto 

 the blossoms have always been small and weak : even tliis 

 year it has only managed to set one fruit, while anotlier 

 tree on the quince, trained agaiust a south wall, puts fiirth 

 healthy fruit-spurs, and bears freely. The llesh is very 



No. 25a— V«.. X., New Series. 



fine-grained, very juicy and nieltmg, with a mo-t refresh- 

 ing acidulous flavour. My gardener has used liis utmost 

 skill to make this tree bear fruit as a bush, but hitherto 

 without success. I can only conclude that it requires a 

 wall in cool cUmates. There is one peculiarity I ought to 

 mention — the fruit when ready for gathering ^rill not easily 

 part fi'om the spur, but some slight force must be used in 

 order to detach it. 



Alexandre lUx'ort forms a handsome spreading bush, 

 gi-ows freely, and puts forth a proper amount of fruit-spurs, 

 but it is (like Beurre Superfin I too tender to succeed as a 

 bush, and, therefore, requires a wall in cool clunates : 

 whether it is dcseiwing of such a situation I am at present 

 imable to state. 



Comto de Lamy assumes the shape of an upright cup, 

 makes a stout robust growth, and produces a moderate 

 crop of mcdiiun-sizod fruit, wliich ripens well in October. 

 Tlie tlesli is melting, juicy, and most excellent. The tree 

 is hardy. 



Doyenne Boussoeli grows into a fine spreading bush, and 

 bears freely very fine large fniit, whicli ripens well. Two 

 Pears of tins variety weighed isi ozs. The flesh is crisp 

 and juicy, with the flavour of an Apple, and very refi'esh- 

 ing. Tliis fruit is ripe towards the end of October, and is 

 quite distinct from any other Pear I have ever tasted. 



Beurre Hardy forms a very handsome spreading bush, 

 remarkable for its vigorous gi'oxrth and the beauty of its 

 abundant rich gi-eeu foliage. It must be able to flomish 

 in the most unfavourable soils. Tliis bush has been forked 

 out of the giound every year for the last foiu' years, and it 

 seems rather to like the operation than otherwise. It pro- 

 duces large pyramidal-shaped fruits ; flesh melting, and 

 very juicy, with a slight yet agreeable peii'ume. Ripe 

 early in November. 



Comte de Flandre assumes the form of a Cypress, and is 



decidedly the most beautiful tree in the collection. It puts 



forth in spring fine large trusses of bloom, wliich remain a 



long time in fiower ; every bloom passes into a fruit, which 



' has no idea of tumbling oft', so the scissors must be freely 



I used. One fruit weighed rather more than three-quarters 



of a poimd. and all the rest were fine, large, pxTamidal- 



shaped Pears. The first fi-uit was ripe on the Hith of De- 



, ceinber, the second on the 2nth. and the remahider of tlie 



crop is still in the fruit-room : so tliis variety ripens slowly, 



and is not inclined to decay. It comes into season in 



December and .lanuary. Flesh fine-grained, -nithout a 



: core, melting, very juic}-, sweet, xrith an agi-ecable aroma. 



A jury of three persons voted it to be superior to Glou 



Morceau gi-omi agahist a south brick wall. This is hkely 



I to become a, valuable winter Pear, and to deserve a wall in 



unfavourable situations. 



Baronne de JleUo grows freely, and produces blossom- 

 buds in abundance, wluch never set. It is decidedly too 

 tender to succeed as a bush in a cool climate. It requii'es 

 a waU. 



Doyenne Defais forms a healthy upright tree, -sxiiich will 



bear abundantly against a south wall, but as a bush its 



flowers are too weak and tender to be fruitful. This Pear 



has borne one fruit tliis autmnn, wliich ripened perfectly. 



No. M2.— Vol- XXXV., Old Series. 



