THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 19 
first-class in their way, and if more are required, Winter Pearwain, 
a large and very handsome fruit, with rich and crisp flesh, may be 
added. It isin season from November to April, is equally adapted 
for dessert and cooking, and the tree an excellent bearer. 
Of Pears, too, there is an abundance in season. during January, 
but pears are variable in character upon different soils, and they 
are also materially influenced in their season of attaining maturity 
by the character of the soil and the season, so that it is most diffi- 
cult, if not practically impossible, to provide every reader with 
exactly what is required. Hor a very select collection the under- 
mentioned can have a hearty recommendation as being usually at 
their best during the new year’s festivities. Bergamotte Hsperen is 
first-class in quality, very juicy, sweet, and richly flavoured, and 
although it is not usually ripe until the end of January, it is so good 
that it must be mentioned. Beurre d Aremberg is a medium-sized 
fruit of splendid quality ; the flesh remarkable for its buttery, highly- 
perfumed, and rich flavour, it is at its best in December and 
January, and therefore one of the most useful for the festive 
season. Beurre de Jonghe is one of the very finest pears of 
its season—from December to the end of February—is now most 
popular, but not more so than it deserves to be; the fruit is 
large, remarkably handsome, and the flesh is rich, juicy, and 
highly perfumed. Broompark is an excellent bearer, and is highly 
appreciated by those who like pears, having a musky flavour, which 
in this variety is very distinctly developed. Glow Morceau, also 
ripe in December and January, is of rather large size, and rather of 
high quality. Huyshe’s Victoria, and Knight's Monarch, which 
attain maturity at the same time as Glou Morceau, are also most 
excellent in every way, and combine productiveness with good quality. 
Winter Nelis is one of the most delicious pears grown, and may be 
had in perfection from November until February. 
The Alicante is a very good grape in the hands of the skilful 
cultivator, but for the amateur Lady Downes is decidedly the best. 
There is no difficulty in obtaining good crops; it is of excellent 
quality for so late in the season, and it hangs so well, that with care 
it may be had in fine condition until April. 
If the pears are on the quince, and the apples on Scott’s Para- 
dise Stock, the trees will come into bearing in a comparatively 
short time, and occupy very little room in the garden. Trees on 
these stocks are decidedly the best for small gardens, for apart from 
their early fruiting and remarkable productiveness, a comparatively 
large collection of sorts may be grown in a very small space, 
\ 
Repropuction 1N THE MusHroom Tripe.—At the annual meeting of the 
Woolhope Club, Mr. Worthington Smith read a paper on reproduction in the 
Mushroom tribe. He concludes from his microscopic observations that, so far from 
infusorial animals being spontaneously generated, they are only differentiated forms 
of already living cells. He finds that boiling does not destroy the germ of life. 
He boiled infusoria, and hermetically sealed the tube. After a month, a drop of 
water from this tube was examined under the microscope, and all appeared dead— 
certainly all were motionless. In a few minutes appeared signs of life, and an 
hour after, infusoria were found in the active enjoyment of existence. 
January. 
