496 THE FEUIT MANUAL. 



Bellissime. See Windsor. 



BELLISSIME D'AUTOMNE (Petit Certeau ; Vermilion ; Belle et 

 Bonne; Poir des Dames; Vermilion des Dames). Fruit, medium sized, 

 three inches and a half long, and two inches broad ; long pyriform in 

 shape. Skin, smooth and shining, of a pale straw-colour where shaded ; 

 but where exposed to the sun it is covered with fine deep crimson, with 

 stripes of the same colour round about the stalk, and the whole covered 

 with grey dots. Eye, considerably depressed in a wide and plaited 

 basin. Stalk, from an inch to an inch and a quarter long, fleshy at 

 the insertion, where it is attached to the fruit without any cavity. 

 Flesh, white, crisp, and slightly gritty, juicy, sugary, and with an 

 aromatic flavour. 



An old French pear, which if grown against a wall becomes melting, 

 and may then rank as a good dessert fruit ; but as it does not merit 

 such a situation it is only fit in this climate to be cultivated as a 

 standard, and the fruit used for culinary purposes. It is ripe in the 

 end of October and beginning of November. 



The tree is a hardy, vigorous grower, and an abundant bearer ; 

 it succeeds well as a standard either on the pear or quince. 



Bellissime d'Ete. See Bassin. 



BELLISSIME D'HIVER (Teton de Venus; De Bure ; Belle de 



G~ J > Noisette ; Vermilion d'Espagne). Fruit, very large, four inches wide, 

 / and three inches and three-quarters high ; roundish turbinate. Skin, 

 smooth and somewhat shining, of a fine deep green colour on the 

 shaded side and brown where exposed to the sun, but changing as it 

 attains maturity by keeping to lemon yellow on the shaded side and 

 fine vermilion next the sun ; strewed all over with large brown russet 

 dots. Eye, large and open, set in a rather deep basin. Stalk, an 

 inch long, stout and somewhat fleshy, particularly at the insertion, 

 where it is placed in a rather deep cavity with a fleshy swelling on one 

 side of it. Flesh, white, fine-grained, crisp, and tender, sweet, and 

 with a musky flavour. 



One of the very best culinary pears with which I am acquainted, and 

 quite free from that disagreeable grittiness which is peculiar to baking 

 pears generally. It is both in size and every other respect superior to 

 the Catillac, and continues in use from November till April. 



The tree is a free and vigorous grower, and excellent bearer, and 

 succeeds well as a standard either on the pear or the quince. 



Bellissime de Jardin. See Bequesne. 



BELMONT. Fruit, medium sized ; roundish oval, even and regu- 

 larly shaped, with somewhat of the form of a Swan's Egg. Skin, 

 rather rough to the feel, being covered with a coating of somewhat 

 rough russet, which extends over the whole surface of the fruit, with 

 the exception of the shaded side, where it is greenish yellow, and con- 



