22 THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 



" Speckbirn, that is, Lard pear, swell in the middle with a thick belly, 

 from which they suddenly taper off into a point; they have a length of 

 more than three inches, a width somewhat less than three inches; they 

 are of pale color, and like the Provost, speckled with green dots, rather 

 mild and sweet to the taste, dissolving in the mouth like lard, whence they 

 have received their name, and with the abundance of their juice they 

 quench thirst ; when they are peeled they give a sweet odor. They ripen 

 at the beginning of autumn and very easily decay. 



" Kaulbirn, that is, Ball pear, have almost the roundness of a globe, 

 except that near the stalk they rise to a blunt and inconspicuous circle. 

 Their length is scarcely two inches; they rarely exceed this, but in width 

 slightly exceed their length. In color they are pale green, in taste and 

 smell they rival the Lard with which also they come to ripeness; these 

 too easily decay. They are found at Eisleben. 



" Hanffbirn, that is, Hemp pear, are like the Ball but a little larger; 

 they have a green color, marked with spots or dots ; in taste they correspond 

 to the Ball, but do not dissolve so readily in the mouth; they ripen at the 

 same time, and are easily affected by decay. These too are found at 

 Eisleben. 



" Glockenbirn, that is, Bell pear, from a broad base narrow down to 

 a sort of narrow neck and then end in a blunt head; they have quite the 

 shape of a bell, whence they have received their name. They are wholly 

 of a yellow color spotted with dots, in length a little less than three inches, 

 but in width they do not reach two inches. They have no unpleasant 

 odor, especially when peeled; in taste they correspond to the Hemp, and 

 reach maturity at the same time, and easily decay. They grow in abundance 

 at Eisleben. 



' Konigsbirn, King's pear, or Regalbirn, Rule pear, that is, Royal 

 pear, are large and big-bellied; they have a length sometimes of four inches, 

 a width a little less; they are of bluish -gray color, but in that part where 

 they have had the sun they become slightly red. They are astringent to 

 the taste and with a copious juice, and that sweet and something like 

 wine, they allay thirst. They ripen when the sun has entered Libra, and 

 do not so easily decay. 



' Khmssbirn, that is, Lump pear, are of two varieties; both kinds, 

 however, correspond proportionately in shape to the Royal, but are inferior 

 to them in size. There is a difference in color, for one kind has a bluish- 

 gray color, the other reddish-gray. They have a juice similar in flavor to 

 the Royal but more acid. They ripen with the Royal. In Saxony there 

 is great abundance of them, especially at Hildesheim. 



" Bonnebirn, that is, Bonn pear, so-called from the city of Bonn on 

 the Rhine, from which they have been transplanted into other districts. 

 They have an almost spherical shape, except that near the stalk they end 



