gardener to Ralph Sneyd, Esq., Keele Hall, Newcastle, Stafford- 

 ahire ; Mr. J. Cox, F.H.S., gardener to W. Wells, Esq., Red- 

 leaf, Penshurst, Kent ; Mr. Johnston, gardener to the Hon. M. 

 C. Maxwell, Terregles, Kirkcudbright ; and Mr Park, Grove 

 Hall, East Retford.— The First Prize was awarded to Mr. Cox ; 

 and the Second Prize to Mr. Park. 



A reference to pp. 20 and 25, will show that at the former 

 competitive examinations of pears, as well as on this occasion, 

 Mr. Cox obtained the first prize. The garden at Redleaf, which 

 has a gentle inclination to the south-west, is sheltered from the 

 north, north-east, east, and south-east winds, but exposed to those 

 from the south-west, west, and north-west. The tree which pro- 

 duced the fruit exhibited, is growing in stiff garden soil, one foot 

 thick ; the subsoil a yellow ferruginous clay, deeply drained. The 

 fruit was produced about 28 feet from the ground, against the 

 gable end of a building. The tree, which is about twenty-five years 

 old, and horizontally trained, is in a healthy condition ; it was 

 originally the St. Germain, but is now grafted with many sorts, 

 and with Beurre Ranee at the top. The border is annually 

 manured. Mr. Cox remarks, that he has no doubt the roots of 

 this tree, as well as of those which produced the fruit previously 

 sent to the Committee, are principally in the yellow clay before- 

 mentioned, because the borders are every year heavily cropped ; 

 but he thinks the good condition of the trees may be partially 

 owing to the manuring substances being washed down. The 

 specimens of the fruit were not so large as some others of the 

 same sort exhibited and they were more russeted ; the flesh, 

 though slightly gritty, was very juicy, rich, and sugary. 



Mr. Park stated, that the situation of the garden at Grove 

 Hall, where the fruit exhibited by him was produced, is dry and 

 elevated ; it is said to be the highest point but one in the county 

 of Nottingham, and is about fifty-four miles from the sea ; the sur- 

 face slopes gently to the south. The soil is a strong loam, 2 feet 

 deep ; subsoil, red clay on gypsum. The tree is on the pear 

 stock, old, very healthy, and has borne great crops for the last 

 five years ; it is trained against a west aspect wall, 15 feet high. 

 Twelve years ago the tree was trained on the fan system, with 

 spurs 15 inches from the wall. Since then it has been root- 

 pruned, the middle of the tree cut out, except the centre branch, 

 from which, at the top, two branches are trained horizontally, and 

 from these, others trained downwards, at intervals of 12 inches, 

 have now filled the middle of the tree, which bore a great crop 



