84 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PEARS. 



The quantity of pears in this vicinity during the past year must, on the 

 whole, be considered much below an average. There has, however, been 

 great variations in this particular ; for while in some gardens the crop has 

 been almost an entire failure, in others, not far distant, it was in usual 

 abundance, — probably owing, in a great measure, to a difference in expos- 

 ure, and to the amount of protection the trees received. The frost, on the 

 morning of the 16th -of May, when, in some exposed places, the mercury 

 fell to 30°, at a time when the trees were just in a state to be most injuri- 

 ously affected, told with killing severity upon their production of fruit. 

 Subject to such trials, it may be well for cultivators to note those varieties 

 that have undergone the ordeal with the least apparent injury ; for it is be- 

 lieved, as will be subsequently stated, that to select the hardy, vigorous 

 kinds of this fruit, will have an important bearing upon the profits of its 

 cultivation, and that those of weak and feeble habit should be rejected as 

 unworthy of attention. 



tSome new or little known varieties of pears, have been exhibited princi- 

 pally at the Annual Exhibition. As these had in many cases been picked 

 green, and when it was otherwise, as but a slight opportunity was afforded 

 of testing their quality, no opinion of their value should or can be expressed. 

 A mere enumeration of their names, with a very general description of 

 their form, color, &.C., is all that will be attempted ; further trials must be 

 made before coming to any decision as to the rank they should ultimately 

 occupy. Among such were the following : — 



Willermoz. Large, handsome ; smooth, green skin, with blotches or 

 stripes of red in the sun ; of a pyriform shape, rather drawn in at the stem 

 and calyx. 



Gideon Paridant Small, smooth ; yellow skin, nearly covered with rus- 

 set; pyriform, with no depression or basin either at the stem or calyx, — a 

 juicy, sweet, rich fruit. 



Henri Van Mons. Medium size, smooth, green skin, with bright red 

 in the sun ; no depression at stem ; calyx large, in a very small and shoal 

 basin. 



Auguste Van Kraus. Yellow skin, with blotches of russet; of a flat- 

 tened, obovate form. 



Colmar ArtoisoneL Large, greeH, with red in the sun ; of a flattened, 

 obovate form. 



La Inconstante. Rather small, pyriform shape. 



Alphonse Kars. Small, green skin, with some russet, — pyriform. 



Josephine Imperatrice. Small, green, with a little red in the sun, flat- 

 tened obovate form, and long stem. 



Kossuth. Large, green, with some red in the sun, pyriform, calyx open 

 in a shoal basin. 



Beurr^ Chatenay. Rounded obovate, medium, rather rough, green skin, 

 with some red in the sun ; short, thick stem. 



