140 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTUBE. 



setts Horticultural Societies, as well as other similar associa- 

 tions throughout the country. — Ed. 



ORIGIN OF THE PEAR TREE, ITS PROGRESS AND SUCCESS. 



BY J. DE JONGUE, BRUSSELS. 



We have already, in our last Volume (XX), published 

 several of M. de Jonghe's communications to the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, on the culture of the pear, and though not agree- 

 ing with him in all his views, we believe they will repay a 

 careful perusal, and afford many valuable suggestions to our 

 own cultivators of this fruit. Entertaining this opinion, we 

 make no apology for transferring to our pages, from the same 

 paper, the following article from the same author, on the 

 " Origin of the Pear Tree, its Progress and Success." It 

 traces, in as brief a manner as possible, the advancement made 

 in this fruit during the present century, and shows to whom 

 we are mainly indebted for the delicious foreign varieties 

 which now enrich our collections. We have long had in 

 preparation a similar article, giving an account of the progress 

 of the pear in our own country, with a list of every known 

 variety, when and where it originated, &c. This we shall 

 endeavor to complete and present to our readers in the course 

 of the present volume. When, in the course of time, it will 

 be less easy to gather up the information than at present, 

 such a paper cannot otherwise than prove exceedingly valua- 

 ble for future reference and examination. — Ed. 



In a previous communication I promised to submit to your 

 readers a list of the most hardy and vigorous varieties of pear 

 trees, raised from seed in Belgium, and which are probably, 

 even now, but little known to the generality of English 

 amateurs. This promise I am now about to fulfil. But be- 

 fore giving this list, I think it will be well to enter into some 

 preliminary considerations. 



Whence came the species of pears at present cultivated in 



