148 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



1st. 450 varieties of pear trees of English, French, American, German, 

 and more especially of Belgian origin. 



2d. 150 varieties of apple trees which have originated in the same coun- 

 tries. 



3d. 150 varieties of plum trees. 



4th. 50 " of cherry trees. 



5th. 20 " of peach and nectarine trees. 



6th. 10 " of apricot trees. 



Whilst visiting, from time to time, the gardens of amateurs, 

 I have been fortunate enough to find some of the varieties 

 mentioned in Van Mons' Catalogue of 1823, and with which 

 the numbers had been given with the bud or graft. After 

 having ascertained their identity, I had them propagated. 

 Perhaps the Americans and Germans will send back to us 

 some of these varieties with new names, as has already been 

 the case. It is also likely that some of the varieties mentioned 

 with names, but without numbers in the catalogue above re- 

 ferred to, have been named afresh by the successor of the 

 late Van Mons. By adding his own name to the names of 

 varieties raised by Van Mons he has exceeded his limits, by 

 passing for the raiser, whilst he was only the owner of an ob- 

 ject produced by another. The successor of the late Esperen 

 has taken the same liberty with the seedlings left by the lat- 

 ter. I confine myself to the statement of these facts for the 

 interest of that part of fruit-tree culture which will indispu- 

 tably continue to be the most interesting in the annals of this 

 division of the horticulture of the 19th century. 



Having briefly explained the history and progress of the 

 pear tree, we come now to the success obtained in its cultiva- 

 tion, which is the principal object of the present communica- 

 tion. Before proceeding further, it will, however, be neces- 

 sary to make some general observations. 



In the denominations of new varieties, three of the raisers 

 kave applied to their seedlings that by which the generic 

 name is known, according to their form and flavor, and as un- 

 derstood by pomologists in arranging them imder the forms of 

 Beiirre^ Bergamotie, Bezi, Bon Chritien, Colmar, Rousselet, 

 and St. Germain. The terms of Belle, Beurre, Fondante, 

 and Delices do not apply to form, but to qualities which are 



