The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE IDAHO PEAR. 



URING the past year we have 

 1 seen a great many notices of 

 this pear. Most of our horti- 

 cultural exchanges have given 

 it great prominence, and many of them 

 engravings of it ; and since there is such 

 a universal chorus of laudation from all 

 sides, our readers will soon be accusing 

 us of ignorance if we do not join. We 

 have, therefore, had a colored plate of 



illustrations ; and it is further described 

 as follows: — "Cavity very irregular; 

 basin shallow and plaited ; calyx very 

 small and closed ; core very small ; skin 

 golden yellow, with many russety dots ; 

 flesh melting, juicy, with a sprightly, 

 vinous, delicious flavor; season, Septem- 

 ber and October." The season of ripen- 

 ing is about a month later than the Bart- 

 lett ; it is a much better keeper. 



Fig. I.— The Idaho Pear. Cro.ss Section. 



the Idaho pear printed for our January 

 number. 



The Idaho pear originated in the 

 northern part of the Territory of Idaho, 

 whence its name. It was first noticed as 

 the Mulkey pear, after a Mrs. Mulkey, 

 of Lewiston, to whom belongs the credit 

 of raising it from a seed sown some 

 twenty years ago. The general form and 

 coloring of the fruit is well shown in our 



In fig. I. we show an outline of a cross 

 section of the Idaho pear, showing the 

 small size of the core, which is almost 

 seedless. Although the exterior is some- 

 what coarse in appearance, like the 

 Duchess, the flesh is fine, smooth, and 

 free from granulations. 



The tree is a good grower, we are told, 

 but inclined to overbear ; yet even with- 

 out thinning, the pears grow to average 



