NOVEMBER. 521 



Sfci?i, fair, smooth, yellowish green, very thickly dotted with 

 large, conspicuous, russety specks: Stem, rather long, about 

 one and a half inches in length, not very stout, curved, and 

 inserted in a small, somewhat open cavity on the obtuse end : 

 Eye, medium size, open, and but little sunk in a small, rather, 

 shallow basin ; segments of the calyx narrow, stiff, expanded, 

 complete : Flesh, yellowish white, little coarse, melting and 

 juicy : Flavor, rich and sugary, with a peculiar almond per- 

 fume : Co?-e, rather large : Seeds, large, light colored, plump. 

 Ripe in October. 



1S5. Doyenne' Sterckmans. 



Beurre Sterckmans. Album de Pomologie. 

 Calebasse de Nerckman, \ 



Doyenn6 d'Esterkman, J- Of foreign collections. 



Belle Alliance, ) 



There seems to be much confusion in regard to the name 

 of this new pear, (fis;: 25.) By many it has been supposed 

 to be synonymous with the true Beurre Sterckmans : and so in 

 reality we believe "it to be. But the pear received in onr 

 collections, as the Beurre Sterckmans, is quite a different fruit, 

 and does not correspond at all with the description and figure 

 in the Album de Pomologie of Bivort, nor with the period of 

 maturity there assigned to it. With us it is an October pear; 

 while its period of ripening is January and February. Our 

 Beurre Sterckmans is a russety pear, while that of the Album 

 is a yellow fruit with a deep red cheek. After much study 

 in order^to determine the identity of this pear, we have 

 come to the conclusion to call it the Doyenne Sterckmans, 

 though we certainly consider it the same as the Beurre of 

 Bivojt. But as we figured the russety variety long ago, 

 (having received our trees from France ten years since,) un- 

 der the name of Beurre Sterckmans, and as it has been ex- 

 tensively disseminated under that name, we still retain it, 

 and designate this as the Doyenne Sterckmans. 



It is a fine early winter pear, ripening from December to 

 January. It is also a good sized fruit, very handsome, and 

 an abundant bearer, succeeding well either on the quince or 

 pear stock. 



VOL. XXI. NO. XI. 66 



