JANUARY 11, 1859. 



Mr. Harbison, Oatlands Palace Gardens, Weybridge, Surrey, 

 near the Thames, stated, that the soil in his locality is four feet 

 deep, with a sandy subsoil ; the situation is warm ; the surface flat. 

 The fruit produced is clear, ripening into good colour, and keeping 

 well ; that exhibited was grown against a wall with a south-east 

 aspect, on an old St. Germain tree, which was grafted with the 

 Winter Nelis about seven years ago ; it is trained horizontally, 

 and bears abundantly. The specimens, though good, were not 

 equal to those from the south aspect. 



Mr. G, Shoesmith stated that Bexhill, Sussex, is half-a-mile 

 from the sea, on the south coast; the land gradually slopes 

 towards the south-west. The tree, which is healthy, and about 

 ten years old, is trained horizontally against a south-west wall, 

 about nine feet high. It was also remarked that the season was 

 late, but with less than an average fall of rain. The fruits 

 exhibited were splendid, well-grown, large specimens of the sort, 

 and finely russeted, but in point of flavour they were not equal to 

 the exhibitions from south aspects. 



Mr. W. iNaKAM sent three dishes, respectively from east, 

 west, and south aspect walls. He stated that Belvoir Castle is in 

 the north-midland county Leicestershire, lat. 52° 53', and 220 

 feet above the level of the sea ; the soil is on the lias clay ; the 

 surface slightly inclined to the east. The trees are on the pear 

 stock ; those on the west aspect wall are trained horizontally, the 

 others fan-shaped. The fruits from the south aspect were found 

 to be too ripe ; those from the east were better than those from 

 the west ; later than those from the south, but earlier than those 

 from the west ; the lateness of the crop on the latter was supposed 

 to be in consequence of the fruit being rather thin. 



Mr. JuDD, who occupies a midland locality, stated that Althorp 

 Gardens are on the side of a hill sloping to the south-east, and 

 tolerably well sheltered from the north ; the soil about two feet 

 deep, consisting of garden mould, resting on blue clay, generally 

 with veins of sandstone ; a portion of the clay has been burnt for 

 top-dressing. The tree is against a south-west wall and is 

 healthy ; it was originally the Swan's-egg variety, but nine years 

 ago every horizontal branch was grafted with the Winter Nelis ; 

 and six years ago it was root-pruned to within three feet of the 

 stem ; it is pruned by shortening the spurs in summer, and 

 reducing them in winter. The fruit had ripened early, in con- 

 sequence of the hot dry summer. 



OTHER PEARS.— From Messrs. WEi3BER & Co., Fruiterers, 



