Descriptions of Three New Pears. 401 



new pears, which are yearly being added to the varieties 

 aheady in cultivation by the French and Belgian amateurs, 

 before our pomological readers, as they will thus immedi- 

 ately become known and speedily introduced into our collec- 

 tions. — Ed.] 



Knowing that your fine country is essentially horticultural, 

 and to what a high degree of perfection the culture of fruit 

 trees is carried, I have the great pleasure of sending you, for 

 publication in your excellent journal, the descriptions of three 

 new pears ; two of which, the Sorlus and Doyen Dillen, 

 fruited for the first time, last year, in the fruiteries and nur- 

 series of M. Andre Leroy, of Angers. The third has been 

 propagated in large quantities, but has not yet fruited in his 

 collection ; and the description and drawing which I now 

 send, are those of the Horticultural Society of Bourbourg : — 



1. De Sorlus. 



This variety {fig. 27) was raised by Van Mons, and fruited 

 for the first time in 1843, according to M. Bivort, who has 

 given a figure and good description ; yet I cannot agree with 

 him when he says it is sometimes only second quality, and I 

 am the more surprised, as this learned pomologist is inclined 

 to notice favorably all the fruits which he describes. The 

 figure which he has given is nevertheless more beautiful than 

 that which I annex. 



The De Sorlus pear has been planted in the school of fruits 

 of M. Leroy for three years, and bore last autumn for the 

 first time. 



The fruit measures eight and a half centimetres in height, 

 and seven in diameter ; it is of a turbinate form, very regular, 

 but irregularly divided at the stem, (peduncle,) which is 

 sideways, and obliquely inserted ; it is short, not being more 

 than a centimetre and a quarter in length, and little curved : 

 the eye is small, closed, and placed in a shallow and very 

 broad basin : the skin is thick, yellowish-green, gray around 

 the stem, and marbled with the same color all over the 

 surface : flesh, white, fine and melting : juice, abundant, 



VOL. XVIII. NO. IX. 51 



