14 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1877. 



that it is about the right time to gather the crop. Pick them carefully by- 

 hand, and store in a dark, dry, cold place, and they will soon be ready for 

 use or the market. Pears intended for the market should be sent away 

 before they become mellow, as it does not much improve the looks of 

 fruit to carry it over rough roads and pavements when in a ripe or mellow 

 condition. The later varieties should be gathered with great care, not al- 

 lowing them to get bruised in handling, and stored in a dark, dry cellar, 

 as cold as may be without freezing. If it is desirable at any time to 

 hasten the season of ripening, carry them into a warmer room and they 

 will usually ripen in a short time. 



With a list of over a thousand named varieties, and some over a hun- 

 dred in general cultivation in this country, there may arise some differ- 

 ences of opinion from what I consider the most valuable sorts for general 

 cultivation. I have aimed to name the varieties that contain the greatest 

 number of valuable qualities, such as productiveness, healthy, vigorous 

 growth of tree, excellence of flavor of fruit, and good keeping sorts that 

 will not decay too rapidly. 



To report the conversation with a customer last spring will give som® 

 idea of what is generally conceded to be the most popular variety. After 

 the usual salutation, I put the question: " Something I can show you to- 

 day, sir? " " Yes, sir; I want to buy some pear trees." " Do you wish 

 for standard or dwarf trees? " " ISTo, sir; them are not what I want at 

 all. I want them kind what you call Bartletts." " Very well; we have 

 that variety, both as standards and dwarfs, but they do best as standards; 

 I will show you what we have." Showing my stock of trees, size and 

 price being satisfactory, I learn that he wants a dozen trees, and suggest 

 that as he is just starting his fruit garden, and as he has room for only a 

 dozen trees, that it would be desirable to have several varieties so as to 

 give him a succession of fruit through the season. I mention that we 

 have some varieties of summer pears, some ripening during the fall, and 

 some winter varieties. " All right, sir; them's just the kind I want. Put 

 me down two early Bartletts, two fall Bartletts, two winter Bartletts, and 

 I'll have all the rest the regular Bartletts." The sum and substance of 

 this matter is that the Bartlett pear is the one above all others that every- 

 body knows. I think I am safe in saying that fully one-half of my 

 yearly sales of pear trees are of that one variety, and although I would 

 not recommend planting as many varieties of the Bartlett as did my Irish 

 customer, I should make it the leading variety for market culture on ac- 

 count of its unrivaled popularity. 



Kext to the Bartlett in value, as a market sort, I should name the 

 Clapp's Favorite, which I consider one of the greatest rivals of the Bart- 

 lett we now have, ripening a week or ten days earlier, being larger in 



