Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 237 



Poire Guillaume, as Mr. Downing says in his first edition of Fruits, dSfc. 

 I have never before now had the St. Ghislain ; at any rate, no tree sent me 

 by that name ; therefore, the pear of mine that you allude to cannot well be 

 that pear. Be it what it may, it certainly was the most delicious pear that I 

 have ever eaten, but this is not saying a great deal, as I have not tasted many 

 of the finest. In looking over the catalogue of the nurseryman who sent 

 me the tree, I see Bezi de Lamotte along with the Chaumontel, de Vaat 

 and others, and no Doyenne de la Motte. — Yours, R. Chisholm, March 25, 

 1847. 



Growth of Trees in the Southern States. — From your remark upon 

 the growth of the trees of your correspondent. Dr. Philips, I see that you 

 have no idea of our climate, where peach trees are in full bloom now, 

 and blossoms were seen since 14th February. Pear trees, Crassane, 

 and Messire Jean, are in bloom, and some are putting out leaves, which 

 may live until next Christmas. I put in two buds of the Beurr6 des 

 Charneuses last year about this date into one sucker, at the root of the 

 supposed St. Ghislain, which are, at this time, 4 feet 8, and 6 feet 4 high 

 above their insertions. The Fire-blight is very rare with me, and I hope 

 will hereafter be still more so, but I believe is much more common on sandy 

 soils here, where the pear is grafted upon pear roots. I have set out one 

 plant of what was given me by a gentleman who imported, direct from you, 

 I believe, one dozen plants when they sold at $ 5 per dozen, as your Seed- 

 ling, a pistillate plant, about two miles from here in a straight line, and 

 equally far from any other plants, except one plant of what was given me 

 as Keene's seedUng, also pistillate, about half a mile farther off still, to try 

 whether they will bear fruit. Both are in excellent soils for them. I have 

 found the Crassane and Bon Chretien d'hiver pears, very sweet cooked 

 when gathered half-grown, in thinning out the fruit ; and Bailly, in his 

 Manuel du Jardinier, mentions also the Salviati, Chaumontel, Colmar, 

 Messire Jean and Echasserie as good either for the table or to cook. My 

 only little musk apricot tree being about to die last spring, I grafted below 

 ground, three scions upon roots of peach, and two out of the three lived, 

 and grew well, say about three feet high, the roots being quite small. I 

 have just received from Paris the Beun-6 Aurore or Capiaumunt ; Are they 

 synonymous? I find quinces grow very freely from cuttings put down at 

 any time during the winter. — Yours respectfully, Robert Chisholm, Beau- 

 fort, S. C, March 25, 1847. 



Art. III. Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Saturday, April 3d, 1847. — The quarterly stated meeting of the Society 

 was held to day — the President in the chair. 



The President announced to the Society, that he had received, from Josiah 

 Bradlee, Esq., a check for $500, for the purpose of being added to the per- 

 manent fund for premiums on flowers and fruits. 



