THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



the crop of Sheldons be large or small, 

 we always save it for home use ; for 

 none of its compeers, the Duchess, the 

 Anjou, nor the Lawrence, though all 

 are delicious, are as desirable. No mem- 

 ber of the family would select one of 

 the latter for eating when he can have 

 the Sheldon. 



The Committee on Pears, appointed 

 by the Ontario Fruit Growers' Associa- 

 tion, gave the Sheldon ten marks, the 

 maximum number to indicate its value 

 for dessert, and seven for market ; but 

 they have ranked the Anjou equally 

 high, and, in our opinion, this might 

 justly be amended to make the latter 

 variety at least one point below the 

 Sheldon. 



The following description of this pear 

 is given in "Fruits of Ontario,"' Tree 

 vigorous, erect, not very productive, late 

 commg into bearing. Fruit above me- 

 dium in size, roundish, obtuse, obovate ; 

 skin yellowish green, covered with thin 

 light russet, brownish crimson in sun, 

 russet dots ; stalk short, stout in a nar- 

 row cavity ; calyx nearly open, in a 

 broad basin. Flesh creamy white, but- 

 tery, juicy, sweet and aromatic. Season, 

 October, One of the most delicious of 

 dessert pears, if eaten just at the proper 

 time. Worthy of a place in every home 

 garden, but not productive enough to 

 be planted for market. 



Two or three reports concerning this 



pear have been sent in, which we here 

 insert : 



W. Boulter, of Picton, Prince Ed- 

 ward Co., writes : " My experience with 

 this variety has been poor. I planted 

 ten years ago, seventy-five of them, and 

 lost every one of them, perhaps due to 

 the winters' cold. I gave them the 

 same cultivation as the Clapp's Favorite 

 and the Flemish Beauty, some three 

 hundred of which I had by the side of 

 them, and lost none. I think it will 

 not endure the climate of this county." 



Thos. Beall, of Lindsay, says : " I 

 have not grown this pear, but I had two 

 trees planted, which died before the 

 bearing age. I do not know of its 

 being grown in this locality." 



The late Warren Holton, of Hamilton, 

 said : " I have fruited the Sheldon for 

 several years and think very highly of it. 

 It is with me a moderate bearer when 

 young, but improves with age. I con- 

 sider it the best quality and it always 

 commands the highest price and a 

 ready sale in the local markets.'' 



T. T. Lyon, of South Haven, Mich., 

 once wrote : " The Sheldon pear is con- 

 siderably grown for market in Michigan. 

 It is a vigorous, healthy variety ; a little 

 variable in quality and somewhat un- 

 certain in bearing. Aside from Bosc 

 and Anjou, this and Howell may be 

 said to range next to the Bartlett in the 

 estimation of the mass of commercial 

 planters of this fruit." 



Professor S. T. Maynard says that except possibly the last, are in reality 



the old varieties of apples are running 

 out and cites the Baldwin as an example. 

 The varieties which he calls new, and 

 which he says are coming more into 

 vogue, are Sutton, Palmer, Mcintosh, 

 Wealthy and Gano. None of these. 



new. All are good, says the Country 

 Gentleman. Palmer, is little known, 

 except locally. We suppose that this 

 is the same as Palmer Greening, or 

 more properly, Washington Royal. 



424 



