440 Descriptions of Select Varieties of Pears. 



Art. III. Descriptions and Engravings of Select Varieties 

 of Pears. By the Editor. 



In the dearth of fruit the present year, more particularly of 

 pears, \vc are unable to complete our descriptions of many 

 new varieties, or to secure specimens of other fine sorts, of 

 recent introduction into our collection. We, therefore, im- 

 prove this opportunity to give an account of some of the 

 older kinds, which are found in general cultivation, and 

 which are of interest to the pomologist and fruit cultivator. 

 They will not all come under the denomination of select 

 pears, perhaps, but as our descriptions and engravings are 

 to serve two purposes, viz., to make known the new and fine 

 kinds, and to aid in the identification of old ones, we include 

 them under this head. 



115. Summer Bonchre'tien. Pom. Mag., vol. 1, pi. 14. 



Boncr6tien, "J 



Bonchr^tien d'Ete, I 



Die Sommer Christbirne, }Pom. Mag., vol. 1. 



Die Gate Christbirne, 



Sommer Gute Christenbirne, grosse, J 



Gratioli, ^ 



Gratioli d'Ete, 



^ . ,. , o ^Hort. Soc. Cat., 1842. 



GratioU de noma, ' 



Summer Apotheckerbirne, J 



Richards's Beurre, of some collections in New York. 



This very old pear, {fg. 30) which has been cultivated all 

 over Europe, and, to a considerable extent, throughout the 

 northern and eastern sections of this country, is supposed to 

 have originated in the early part of the sixteenth century. It 

 has been mentioned or described in every pomological work of 

 any note, for more than one hundred and fifty years. It was 

 one of the first pears introduced by the early French settlers 

 into America, and very old and large trees are found growing 

 in various parts of the country. Varying very much in its 

 quality, according to soil and locality, it has been, and 

 still is, thought by many to be a very fine pear ; and, two 

 years ago, it was described in the Horticulturist, as a new 



