150 Mr. Knighfs Seedling Pears. 



Art. II. Mr. Knight's Seedling Pears. By the Editor. 



It is well known that the late Thomas Andrew Knight, 

 President of the London Horticultural Society, to whose la- 

 bors the science of Horticulture is so deeply indebted, origi- 

 nated several new fruits, of great excellence, more particular- 

 ly cherries and pears. Of the former, all the varieties, we 

 believe, are well known in our extensive nursery collec- 

 tions, as well as in most amateur gardens, and specimens of 

 the fruit have, from time to time, been presented for exhibition, 

 fully sustaining their high reputation. But, of the pears, 

 very little information has yet been obtained. It is true they 

 have been described in the catalogues of the London Horticul- 

 tural Society, but, to American gardens, they are not familiar 

 acquaintances. Recently, nearly or quite all of the varieties 

 have been introduced, but, owing to the errors which occurred 

 in the dessemination of the scions from Mr. Knight's own 

 garden, it is yet somewhat uncertain whether all the kinds 

 are true to name, more particularly that finest of all his seed- 

 lings, the Monarch. 



In the autumn of 1844, when we visited the garden of the 

 society, at Chiswick, and looked over the collection of pears 

 with Mr. Thompson, we were anxious to obtain all the infor- 

 mation in relation to these seedlings, as the high character 

 which Mr. Thompson had given to some of them, rendered 

 them particularly desirable, more especially on account of the 

 hardy character which was ascribed to the varieties, and, conse- 

 quently, their peculiar adaptation to our climate. The Monarch 

 we were most eager to possess, and when we left, Mr. Thompson 

 placed in our hands one specimen out of only three or four, in 

 his possession ; this we put into our trunk, and, after journeying 

 to Scotland, and from thence home, occupying about twenty- 

 five days, — we found the pear in good condition, and, upon tast- 

 ing it, about the middle of November, fully coming up to Mr. 

 Knight's and Mr. Thompson's estimate of the variety. 



The Dunmore, we have not yet seen in good perfection. In 

 the autumn of 1845, we had one single pear, which ripened 

 prematurely and dropped off — it promised well : the present 

 year we hope to have many specimens, and fully settle the 



