MARCH. 143 



culture. It is thus that the pear tree is preserved in all its 

 vigor, and has been able to produce a more robust progeny. 

 In other localities, the artificial culture on the quince stock 

 must have accelerated the weakening of the trees, and the 

 degeneration of existing varieties ; and it is with justice, we 

 think, that some modern pomologists and men of experience 

 attribute the degeneracy chiefly to the above circumstance. 



In directing our attention to more southern countries, we 

 may observe that some good varieties have been obtained in 

 Italy, Spain, and France. But these varieties, such as the 

 Chaumontel, Beurre Gris, and the Virgouleuse, do not suc- 

 ceed in our climate except against a wall furnished with a 

 coping, the soil being previously prepared ; or otherwise in 

 gardens in peculiarly well sheltered situations. Everywhere 

 else, formerly, as at the present day, in Belgium as in Eng- 

 land, these good varieties have, in ordinary seasons, only pro- 

 duced gritty or unsound fruit, whilst the trees attacked by 

 various diseases have died off. 



At Mons, the chief town of the province of Hainault, Bel- 

 gium, certain varieties of pears, of great merit as regards 

 delicacy of flavor, were obtained in the latter part of the last 

 century. Of seedlings raised by the Abbe d'Hardenpont, the 

 Passe Colmar dates from 1756 ; the Beurre d'Hardenpont 

 from 1759. This variety is known in England under the 

 name of Glon-Morceau, (glou, in Walloon language, signifies 

 delicious^ or dainty; morceau, French, morsel or hit; the 

 name may therefore be translated Delicious Morsel, or Dainty 

 Bit, Glou Morceau is its common name, but the true name 

 is Beurre d'Hardenpont. In France it is known by the name 

 of Beurre d'Aremberg, an error which originated with the 

 late M. Noisette of Paris.) These varieties, and also the 

 Delices d'Hardenpont and Fondante Paraseille, do not possess 

 sufficient vigor and hardiness to succeed generally, unless 

 against a wall. The variety called Beurre de Ranee, found 

 by the same Abbe d'Hardenpont, at the village of Ranee in 

 Hainault, is one of the most vigorous of the varieties of keep- 

 ing table pears which were raised in the end of the last 

 century. 



