THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



161 



form good quality, little indeed beside 

 could be desired in it as an autumn 

 pear. Although occasionally a speci- 

 men of high quality can be found ; in 

 the hands of the masses, who would 

 not, it is fjiir to su[)pose, treat it pro- 

 perly, it will be found of second or third 

 class quality. 



Finally, from its many properties of 

 a high order of merit, and lacking, as it 

 does, only uniform ijood quality — like 

 the Concord grape, Wilson strawberry, 

 Ben Davis apple and other varieties of 

 extensively grown popular market fruits 

 tliat might be enumerated, all of which 

 are fully as poor in quality as the Kief- 

 fer — I am entirely satisfied it has not 

 only come to stay, but is destined to 

 become equally popular. I should have 

 arrived at this conclusion from its mar- 

 ket qualities, luxuriant growth and 

 productiveness alone ; but when I con- 

 sider its superlative value for canning, 

 surpassing all other varieties of pears — 

 so desirable, indeed, for the purpose 

 that the canning establishments alone 

 will take all that can be produced for 

 at least the next ten years, at highly 

 profitable prices — I cannot perceive 

 how it can prove otherwise. — J. T. 

 LovETT, in American Garden. 



SOME MARKET PEARS. 



The Bartlett has the greatest number 

 of good qualities combined, including 

 free and handsome growth, early bear- 

 ing, fair fruit, sound cores, great pro- 

 'hictiveness and special adapted n ess to 

 ( auning ; and it is not surprising that 

 it has stood at the head of the list for 

 wide popularity for the past twenty 

 years. Next to this, perhaps, is the 

 later Beurre d'Anjou, which also has 

 an unusual combination of good quali- 

 ties. Its uniform and moderate bearing 

 contribute to the full development of 

 the fruit, and it is not common to find 

 a small and poor specimen. The liand- 

 2 



some form and good size are combined 

 with an excellent flavoi- ; and it posses- 

 ses in an unusual degree the quality of 

 keeping a long time after becoming lipe. 

 The earliest specimens ripen in October, 

 but there is no difficulty in keeping the 

 later ones till Januar}^ if in a quite cool 

 room. Some orchardists would place 

 the Seckel next, and where soil and 

 treatment have been right, it has proved 

 very profitable. Its ft eedom from blight 

 and its reliability as a constant bearer, 

 are qualities of great im])ortanc^'. 



There are some other sorts which may 

 become mora popular as market pears 

 in future, when better known to pur- 

 chasers. Clapp's Favorite is the hand- 

 somest large early pear. Doyenne 

 Boussock has some excellent qualities. 

 The tree is a fine, healthy grower, both 

 as a standard and dwarf, and the fruit 

 is always remarkably fair. In quality 

 it is about equal to the Bartlett. But 

 from some cause it has never found its 

 way largely into market, and brings 

 but a moderate price. The Howell is 

 a vigorous grower and prodigious bear- 

 er, and the fruit is unusually fair. Most 

 judges place it as quite equal to the 

 Bartlett in flavor, but it does not sell so 

 well. It will probably be better es- 

 teemed in future years. The Bufl"um is 

 perhaps the finest of all growers and 

 the greatest of all bearers, but the fruit 

 is too small and not good enough. It 

 may, however, sell well in some mar- 

 kets, and if at only half price, an acre 

 of orchard would bring good returns. 

 Some orchardists place the Clairgeau as 

 the most profitable late pear. A dish 

 of selected specimens makes the finest 

 show of all the sorts on the table. A 

 loaded tree in autumn, with its large, 

 ruddy, brilliant pears, is the most showy 

 sight among pear trees. The quality is 

 sometimes pretty good, but O. B. Had- 

 wen, of Worcester, says he doubts 

 whether any connoisseur in pears can 

 be found who ever ate a whole Clairgeau, 



