116 NEW AMERICAN ORCHARDIST. 



in ovens, the fruit will keep for years. This mode of pre- 

 serving is common in France. Bosc has described two 

 modes of drying pears, and adds, that in some of the can- 

 tons of that country, the cultivators annually preserve, by 

 these means, supplies of subsistence extremely agreeable 

 and wholesome during winter and spring. He invites 

 cultivators not to neglect this resource. In this mode of 

 drying, those varieties of middle size, melting and sweet, 

 are preferred. After the bread is drawn from the. oven, 

 they are placed on the swept hearth, or on hurdles or 

 boards. This operation is repeated a second, a third, and 

 a fourth time, according to their size, and the degree of 

 heat. The heat must not be so great as to scorch, and the 

 fruit must not be dried to hardness. Lastly, they are 

 placed in bags, and preserved in a dry place. The second 

 mode of preserving is practised chiefly on the Rousselets 

 and finest-flavored varieties. Bosc states that he has tried 

 them after three years' preservation, and found them still 

 good ; but they are better during the first year. They are 

 gathered a little before their maturity, and after being half 

 boiled in a small quantity of water, they are peeled and 

 drained. They are next carried on hurdles to the oven, 

 after the bread is drawn, or the oven is heated to a suitable 

 degree ; here they remain twelve hours ; after which they 

 are steeped in the sirup, to which have been added sugar, 

 cinnamon, cloves, and brandy. They are again returned to 

 the oven, which is now heated to a less degree than at first. 

 This operation is thrice repeated, until they are sufficiently 

 dried, or of a clear brown color, and firm, transparent flesh; 

 and finally they are packed in boxes lined with paper. 



Thirty years ago, the number of varieties of pears ob- 

 tained by cultivation, as stated by Dr. Willich, was 1500. 

 But the number of good sorts is stated by Loudon "to be 

 fewer in proportion than that of apples. Dr. Van Mons, 

 and the Abbe Duquesne, since that period, have obtained 

 from seed, during twenty years, upwards of 800 new and 

 approved sorts, from probably 8000 new seedlings." From 

 no less than 80,000, is my impression, but I state from 

 memory only. I have detailed their modes of procedure, 

 as stated by Dr. Van Mons, in the former part of this 

 work. Their practice was the reverse of all the popular 

 theories of the day j the results, unlike any thing of the 

 kind before known. 



