PEARS. 475 



side of it. Flesh, yellowish white, crisp and juicy, half melting, like 

 Passe Colmar, and with an unusually sugary, rich, and very strong 

 niusky or rather anise flavour, which, as Diel says, " one seldom meets 

 with." 



An old French pear, which, for a crisp-fleshed variety, is of first-rate 

 quality. It ripens in the end of October and continues in use till 

 about the middle or end of December. 



The tree is a vigorous pyramidal grower, and the branches are 

 furnished with thorns, which Merlet says disappear when grown on 

 the quince. But the fruit is preferable from a tree that is grown on 

 the pear, being more juicy and melting. 



Miller says this variety is the best stock for grafting melting pears upon, as it 

 communicates to them a portion ot its fine musky flavour. Whether or not such is 

 the case I cannot certify, as I have never tried it ; but the following extract will 

 show what upwards of a century ago was.the opinion of this pear : "This fruit, 

 as well as other dry and perfumed fruits, are much better upon dry soils than upon 

 wet and moist land, the latter bringing large but watery and insipid fruit. Chiefly 

 it should be observed, that all of the melting or butter pears, which seldom are very 

 high flavoured, should be planted in light soils ; and it has been an observation 

 worthy notice, that tho Buree Pears, or those that are melting like the Thorn Pear, 

 L'Ethasserie, &c., are greatly improved by grafting them upon the Amadotie, for 

 the juices or sap of the Amadotte is musked and richly flavoured ; and the Burees, 

 or melting pears, which are grafted upon it, are perfumed by it." 



The Amadotte has been long known in England. It is one of the varieties 

 which Rea says "are choice pears lately obtained out of France by the diligence of 

 Sir Thomas Hanmer. It is said to have been discovered in a wood in Burgundy 

 belonging to Lady Oudotte, and hence called Dame Oudotte, which has since 

 been changed into Amadotte." 



The Amadotte of M. Decaisne, which he figures in the " Jardin Fruitier du 

 Museum," is evidently not the Amadotte of Merlet, Miller, Forsyth, and Diel. 

 This is a long pyramidal-shaped fruit, while the true variety is rather roundish an. I 

 flattened. M. Tougard has an Amadotte Blanc, which he makes synonymous with 

 Beurre Blanc des Capucins, and M. Decaisne has adopted this as the variety 

 described by Merlet, which I think is a mistake. Jahn. following Decaisne, 

 identifies Beurre Blanc des Capucins with the Amadotte, which he calls Herbst 

 Amadotte ; but these are without doubt two very distinct varieties. Neither 

 Tougard, Decaisne, nor Jahn take notice of the remarkably high musky flavour 

 of the fruit ; but, on the contrary, the former says it is slightly acid and astrin- 

 gent, and the latter that it has neither perfume nor flavour, characters which 

 agree with Beurre Blanc des Capucins, but not with Amadotte. It is quite evident 

 that Tougard, Prc'vost, Decaisne, and Jahn have taken Beurre Blanc des Capucins 

 for the true Amadotte. 



AMALIA. Fruit, rather large, three inches and a quarter long, 

 and two inches and a half wide ; pyriforni in shape, rounded towards 

 the apex, and tapering gradually to the stalk. Skin, smooth, of a 

 beautiful bright green at first, bat changing to lemon-yellow, and with- 

 out any trace of red on its surface ; covered with bold russet dots, 

 particularly on the side exposed to the sun. Eye, open, with erect, 

 stiff, stout segments, and set in a pretty wide and deep basin. Stalk, 

 stout and fleshy, half an inch to three-quarters long, inserted in a sort 

 of fleshy ring on the apex of the fruit. Flesh, white, fine-grained, 

 juicy, buttery, and melting, with a sweet and pleasant aromatic flavour. 



