FEBRUARY. 87 



has clearly shown. Oar winter sun is then ample to ripen a 

 crop as completely as later in the season. If there have been 

 any doubts about this, Mr. Simpson's success must dispel 

 them forever. Ed. 



POMOLOGICAL GOSSIP 



The Black Barbarossa Grape. — This new variety has 

 proved to be a most valuable grape ; on the 5th of December 

 last, a bunch was exhibited at the London Horticultural So- 

 ciety, weighing 4 pounds. " It did not measure less than 

 eighteen inches in length, and a foot across the shoulder ; 

 and the berries were plump and well colored. It is one of 

 the very latest keeping grapes, not excepting West's St. Pe- 

 ter's." A Banksian medal was awarded for this fine specimen. 

 We hope to see it in fruit among our own collections next 

 year. 



Omar Pacha Pear. — This is the name of a new variety 

 introduced by M. Leroy of Angers, the present year, and de- 

 scribed as follows: Fruit above medium size, turbinate, 

 roundish, somewhat irregular ; skin clear green, dotted and 

 speckled with russet speckles, principally around the stem ; 

 flesh fine, tender, nearly buttery, very juicy, sugary, vinous 

 flavor, and agreeably perfumed. It is a first-rate pear, of fair 

 size, which ripens at the end of August and beginning of Sep- 

 tember. It is a good bearer ; and fruited for the first time in 

 M. Leroy's nursery in 1853, and last season it was covered 

 with its fine fruit. 



Beurre' Clairgeau Pear. — The following notice of this 

 excellent pear appears in the Gardeners^ Chronicle, by M. 

 Jonghe. It will be recollected that we gave some account 

 of a meeting of the British Pomological Society, Nov. 6, (Vol. 

 XX, p. 570) where it was exhibited, tasted, and pronounced 

 only "second rate." As every cultivator is more or less in- 

 terested in so fine a fruit as the Buerre Clairgeau, they will 

 see from this how it is estimated in Belgium : — 



