July 8, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



21 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



JULY 8—14, 1875. 



Bichmond Show. Nottingham Exhibition opens. 



Oxford Rose Show. 



Royal Botanic Society at 3.4.'>, 



7 SCNDAY JFTER TRINIiy. 



Boyal Literary Fund at 3 p M. 



50.4'\ 



From observations taken near London during forty-threo jeajs, the average day temporature of tbo week is 75.0'; and its niglit temperature 



WANTED, INFORMATION ABOUT PEARS. | 



NCE or twice it lias been proposed in these 

 columns to have an election of Pears on 

 the principle of Mr. Hinton's excellently- 

 conducted Hose elections, but the subject is 

 full of difficulties, and our knowledge of it 

 is evidently very imperfect. For my own 

 part I am obliged to confess that I am 

 miserably behind in the matter, and I am 

 afraid, as the information is not forthcoming, 

 that some of my confrircs are not much 

 better informed than myself. It is true we have the 

 new edition of the " Fruit Manual," and the amount of 

 information contained in it is nothing less than marvel- 

 lous for the work of one man ; but we want as many Dr. 

 Hoggs as we have members of Parliament, and all of 

 them to be as fond of work as the original, before we can 

 obtain the accurate information which I should like us to 

 possess. 



Perhaps it is impossible in our generation to obtain a 

 perfect knowledge of the subject, but we can do some- 

 thing to make the task easier for our 8Ucce.=;sore, and I 

 would ask if it is not possible to conduct a series of ob- 

 servations extending over three years in every part of 

 the country, with directions from head quarters ? I 

 would propose to take the Pear first, as I consider it the 

 most useful of all outdoor dessert fruits, and it is the fruit 

 on which our knowledge is the most imperfect. It is the 

 most variable of fruits in different soils, seasons, climates, 

 and on different stocks, and the usually-grown sorts vary 

 from those which are good in almost all seasons and 

 climates to those which are never good under any 

 conditions. 



Take up the most select catalogue of fruits for sale you 

 can find, and looking over the names of Pears you are 

 certain to find at least one or two which it is questionable 

 if anybody ever saw good in this country. I never saw 

 Duchesse d'Angouleme good, yet you will hardly find a 

 catalogue without it. This, of course, is not the fault of 

 the nurserymen ; they must propagate that which they 

 have a demand for. 



Then there are some sorts which are all very well to look 

 at, but are not fit to eat — Benrre Clairgeau and Vicar of 

 Winkfield for example. Some sorts are improved by being 

 grown against a wall, others are of better flavour from 

 standards. I am inclined to think that all which will 

 ripen without a wall are best without it. Some bear the 

 best fruit on the extremities of the shoots, and therefore 

 should not be pruned hard, as Jargonelle. Some will 

 scarcely exist on the Quince stock, as Marie Louise; 

 others are altogether indifferent as to what kind of stock 

 they are on, as Glou Morreau; while others again are 

 even said to be improved in quality by being grafted on 

 the Quince. Some kinds bear in all seasons and climates, 

 and are generally good, as Louise Bonne of Jersey ; others 

 bear a crop perhaps once in two or three years, as Wil- 

 liams's Bon Chrrtien ; and some, although they bear, are 

 only first-rate occasionally, as Napoleon. Some kinds 



No. 715.— Vol. XXIX., New Series. 



are comparatively hardy and do well in the northern 

 parts of the kingdom, and are perhaps best when grown 

 there ; others are only suited for the most favoured spots 

 in the south and west. 



Now, an average good gardener coming from Scotland 

 to the south of England knows pretty well what Apples 

 he can depend on, but in the matter of Pears he is all at 

 sea ; and the southerner going northwards would be in as 

 great or a greater dilemma. Even different parts of the 

 same county vary very considerably. We want then, 

 when going to a strange place, to be able to lay our hands 

 on a list of fruits which are known to succeed in that 

 particular county in which we are to take up our abode, 

 and it will at least be a little guide to the way in which 

 we ought to conduct our experiments. If the list were 

 compiled in the immediate neiglibourhood by a trust- 

 worthy person, and on tlie same sort of soil as that with 

 which we have to deal, of course it would be invaluable. 

 It takes an average lifetime for one to obtain a perfect 

 knowledge of the subject in any particular part of the 

 country if he has no data to guide him, and then if he 

 in turn does not put his experience on record his fucces- 

 Eors may have to go over the same ground, instead of 

 being able to march onward as they ought to do. 



It may be said that his successors should be guided by 

 what they find doing well ; and so they will if all belong 

 to the intelligent class of gardeners ; but, unfortunately, 

 more than half belong to another class, and the chances 

 are that in the present backward state of horticultural 

 knowledge amongst the aristocracy, a good practical man 

 may be succeeded by one who can use his tongue better 

 than his spade, and the result of his predecessor's life- 

 long study and practice is speedily demolished. _ It is 

 very sad when this is the case, but I am within the 

 bounds of truth when I say it is actually happening every 

 year. Oh that our great seats of learning would give a 

 smattering of vegetable physiology and kindred subjects 

 to their students ! they would be doing greater good to 

 mankind at large than by teaching heathen mythology. 

 At present our gentry only find out by accident that such 

 subjects as horticulture and arboriculture are interesting, 

 and some of them do not find it out at all. I pity them. 

 They miss seven-eighths of the enjoyments of this earthly 

 paradise of ours. But to my subject. 



I think it would be well to issue printed forms to all 

 who care to have them to be filled up and sent in each 

 year after the Pear season is over, say in May, something 

 like the accompanying sketch. I should be glad if others 

 would give their ideas and suggestions on the subject, 

 and strive to awaken an interest in it. We want more 

 precise information as to the average period of ripening 

 the autumn Pears in each district ; it is not enough to 

 say a Pear ripens in September or October, because there 

 are not many of the autumn Pears which last in condition 

 more than ten or twelve days. There are far too many 

 sorts in cultivation ripening at that time ; we merely 

 want to save the cream of them. A fruit must not only 

 be good, it must be very superior to be tolerated at a 

 season when it has so many competitors. 



No. 1397.-VOI. LIV. Old Series 



