PKAR. Ill 



PEAR. 

 POIRIER. Pynis. 



THE Pear tree, in its wild state, is thorny, with upright 

 branches, tending to the pyramidal form, in which it differs 

 materially from the Apple tree. The twigs, or sprays, hang 

 down ; the leaves are eliptical, obtuse, serrate ; the flowers 

 in terminating, villose corymbs, produced from wood of the 

 preceding year, or from buds gradually formed on the several 

 years' growth, on the extremeties of very short protruding 

 shoots, technically called spurs. It is found in a wild state 

 in England, and abundantly in France and Germany, as 

 well as in other parts of Europe, not excepting Russia, as 

 far north as latitude 51. It grows in almost any soil. The 

 cultivated tree differs from the Apple, not only in having a 

 tendency to the pyramidal form, but also in being more apt 

 to send out tap roots ; it being, as a seedling plant, longer in 

 coming into bearing ; and when on its own root, or grafted 

 on a wild Pear stock, much longer lived. In a dry soil, it 

 will exist for centuries, and still keep its health, productive- 

 ness, and vigour. The Romans had thirty-six varieties in 

 Pliny's time : there are now several hundreds in the French 

 and British nurseries ; the London Horticultural Catalogue 

 contains the names of upward of six hundred varieties. 

 Professor Van Mons, of Brussels, and M. Duquessie, of 

 Mons, fruited about eight thousand seedling Pears, from 

 which they obtained nearly eight hundred sorts worth culti- 

 vating, (Neil's Hort. Jour.) The varieties are divided by 

 the French into different classes of fruits, which are desig- 

 nated as Beurrees, Crevers, Poiree, &c. 



CRITERION OP A GOOD PEAR. Dessert Pears are charac- 

 terized by a sugary, aromatic juice, with the pulp soft and 

 sub-liquid, or melting, as in the Beurrees, or Butter Pears, 

 or of a firm and crisp consistence, or breaking, as in the 



