50 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



add, or substitute, Beurre d'Anjou, Merriam, Louise Bonne de Jersey, 

 Flemish Beauty, Sheldon, Swan's Orange, and other sorts. The Glout 

 Morceau has done unusually well this year. It is pretty certain if a soil 

 is at all adapted to the production of pears one cannot get far astray if 

 he plants these sorts, while experience may teach him that there are other 

 varieties that can be grown to profit. Some new varieties have been 

 shown during the past season. The Hovey, or Dana's No. 16, has been 

 before the Society for several years, and has fully sustained the high opin- 

 ion at first entertained concerning it. It is a pear of the highest quality, of 

 fair size, and long-keeping for an autumn pear; a vigorous, symmetrical 

 grower, with beautiful, glossy, camellia-like foliage. It promises to take a 

 high rank among our best pears. The Committee have examined and 

 tested several of Mr. Dana's other seedlings, including the Mace, Ladies' 

 Favorite, and others, not yet named, but do not consider them of any par- 

 ticular value. Mr. Dana has been very successful in producing new seed- 

 lings, several of which have found their way into the Catalogues of the 

 nurserymen. 



Mr. Thaddeus Clapp exhibited the fruit of several seedling pears, raised 

 by him from seed planted in 1848. The following descriptions were 

 kindly furnished by Mr. Clapp : — 



" Seedling, No. 1 . This pear was raised from the seed of the Flemish 

 Beauty, and, in many respects, as to quality, time of ripening, and external 

 appearance, resembles its parent, except it is more globular in form, and 

 inferior in size. In flavor, however, it is more sprightly and vinous, and 

 hence, by some tastes, preferred. Ripe, from the second to the last week 

 in September. Tree, vigorous and productive." 



The Committee did not regard this pear as particularly valuable, from its 

 near resemblance to its parent, without any advantages over it. 



" Seedling, No. '2. On exhibition at the Horticultural Rooms, September 

 first. This is, perhaps, a seedling of the Seckel, which it resembles in 

 form and quality. Size, nearly medium ; skin, of a greenish russet, be- 

 coming yellow towards maturity ; flesh, rich, sweet and juicy. The fruit 

 should be picked early, for, if allowed to mature on the tree, it is apt to 

 become dry and mealy. Ripe, from the middle to the last of August." 



The Committee believe this pear to be well worthy of a further trial. 



" Seedling, No. 3, or Clapp's Favorite. This tree has, from the first, 

 attracted attention, on account of its vigorous growth and the beauty of its 

 foliage. It presents a smooth trunk, the lower branches horizontal, or 

 gently inclined; upper ones erect, and thickly set with fruit-spurs; leaves, 

 large, of a deep glossy green, thick and camellia-like. It has never shown a 

 thorn. Through favor of Col. Wilder, I here avail myself of a description 

 of the fruit, as furnished him by Mr. Charles Downing." " Clapp's Fa- 

 vorite. Fruit, large, obovate, pyriform ; greatest diameter, towards the 

 centre ; slightly angular, surface uneven ; somewhat in general appearance 

 like the Bartlett ; skin, very thin, pale lemon-yellow, marbled and faintly 

 splashed with crimson and fawn, when fully exposed to the sun, and 

 thickly sprinkled with brown dots, and sometimes slight traces of russet. 



