662 THE FRUIT MANUAL. 



delicate russet. Eye, small and open, with long stout segments, and 

 set in a small shallow basin, sometimes without any depression. Stalk, 

 an inch to an inch and a quarter long, fleshy at the base and attached 

 without depression. Flesh, yellowish white, delicate, buttery, melting, 

 and very juicy, with a sugary and perfumed flavour. 



An excellent old French dessert pear ; in use from November to 

 January. 



The tree is a strong and very vigorous grower, but is long before it 

 comes into bearing, and has the character of being an indifferent 

 bearer. The fruit is very apt to drop before it is thoroughly ripe, 

 and shrivels very much in keeping. It is exceedingly susceptible of 

 contracting the flavour of any substances it comes in contact with, such 

 as hay, straw, or deal boards, upon which fruits are generally placed, 

 or decayed fruit lying near it, and advantage may be taken of this pro- 

 perty by laying it on substances impregnated with perfumes the flavour 

 of which it is desirable to communicate, such as elder-flower, musk, or 

 rose leaves. 



This variety originated at the village of Virgouleuse, near Limoges, in the 

 department of Creuse, of which the Marquis Chambrette was the baron, and by 

 whom it was first introduced to Paris about the middle of the 17th century. 



Vlesembeek. See Thompson's. 

 Wahre Englesbirne. See Ange. 

 Walker. See Amande Double. 

 Warden. See Black Worcester. 



WARDENS. This is a name applied to pears which from the firm 

 texture of their flesh never melt, and are used only when they are 

 cooked. The name is derived from the Cistercian Abbey of Warden, 

 in Bedfordshire, where a particular pear was cultivated and used in 

 pies, which were known as Warden pies, and it is within living 

 memory that these pies were hawked in the streets of Bedford as 

 " Wardens all hot." In The Winter's Tale the clown says 



" I must have saffron to colour the 

 Warden pies." 



In The Husbandman s Fruit/ull Orchard, published in 1609, we are 

 told that " Wardens are to be carried, packt and layed as winter 

 peares." In the old song, " I am a Friar of Orders Grey," he says 



" Myself by denial I mortify 

 With a dainty bit of a Warden pye." 



The name came to signify any long-keeping cooking pear, but I am 

 inclined to think that the variety which gave rise to the name is that 

 which is now called the Black Worcester, or Parkinson's Warden. 

 Nevertheless, there were various kinds of Wardens. Parkinson men- 

 tions " The Warden, or Luke Ward's pear, of two sorts, both white 

 and red. The Spanish Warden is greater than either of both the 



