494 Some Account of the Beurre Van Mons Pear. 



Specimens were sent to the Congress of Fruit Growers, three 

 years since, and were much admired : you may have seen it 

 at that time. I send you an outline taken from a specimen 

 December 12, 1851. I think that from the middle of Octo- 

 ber to the middle of November may be regarded as a fair 

 time for its ripening. 



Fruit, large, about three inches long by two and a half in 

 diameter, pyramidal, tapering into the stem, a little one-sided : 

 Skin, smooth, thickly sprinkled with russet upon a green 

 ground, which becomes yellowish when fully ripe : Stem, 

 curved, about an inch in length, slender, and attached to the 

 fruit by a fleshy and wrinkled base : Eye, small, in a very 

 shallow and sometimes plaited cavity : segments of the calyx, 

 small and closed : Flesh, greenish, buttery and juicy, a little 

 coarse grained at the core, which is small, with a rich subacid 

 and perfumed flavor, which is very delicious. 



From my knowledge of it for six years, and comparison 

 with pears of standard reputation, I should say that it would 

 be classed amongst the first rate ; and in this opinion I am 

 supported by those who are competent to judge. In damp 

 and cold seasons there is a little astringency developed, which 

 may be overcome, perhaps, when the tree is older, or by a 

 warmer and drier soil, though near by this the Brown Beurre 

 and White Doyenne flourish and produce an abundance of 

 specimens, such as would gladden the heart of any horticul- 

 turist. It grows well on the quince. ' 



Hartford, October 18th, 1852. 



We are pleased to hear so good an account of the Beurre 

 Van Mons Pear. Three years ago, at the Pomological Con- 

 vention in New York, alluded to by Dr. Russell, we saw 

 some superior specimens of this pear from New Haven, and 

 were so much impressed in its favor that we made a drawing 

 and description from the specimens, which were tried before 

 the committee on new fruits, of which we happened to be a 

 member. But unfortunately the description was lost, though 

 the outline was retained, and we have never seen another 

 specimen of the fruit until we received one from our corres- 



