526 "* ^ ♦ Retrospective Criticism. % 



. Art. V. Retrospective Criticism. 



''^ 



Richards''s Beurri Pear. — In your October number, page 462, when 

 speaking of the " Richards's Beurr6," you place me in a false position, as 

 it leaves the reader to suppose that T had exhibited that fruit as a new vari- 

 ety, when not only myself, but even my children, recognized the fruit as 

 the " Summer Bon Chreiien," the moment we saw it, and I so stated to 

 every one with whom I conversed on the subject. The pears were sent to 

 me by James R. Lawrence, Esq., of Syracuse. So much for this matter. 

 I will now call your attention to the fact, that no specimens of the " Van 

 Zandt's Superb" and " Prince's Paragon" peaches have been exhibited 

 any where the pres'^nt season, except those exhibited by myself, although 

 I announced that a reward of $ 10 would be paid in each case for the exhi- 

 bition of a single genuine fruit grown by any nurseryman who had those 

 varieties in their catalogues. I think this result is conclusive evidence that 

 I was correct in my position, that the trees which have been sold under this 

 name by most persons are spurious. Both are oval fruits, the former of 

 medium, and the latter of large size, and they are varieties of general ex- 

 cellence. I know when and with whom the errors originated, but deemed 

 it the most proper to merely put pomologists on their guard, without men- 

 tioning names, &c. — Yours, very respectjully, Wm. R. Prince, Flushing, 

 October 19, 1847. 



[We did not intend to convey the idea that Mr. Prince did not know that 

 the pears in question were not true — and ought, perhaps, so to have qual- 

 ified our remarks, although there was no question against the name of Hich- 

 ards's Beurre. We only intended to state that the pears exhibited under 

 this name, without any reference to Mr. Prince, were the old Summer Bon 

 Chretien, as we knew that Mr. Prince did not raise them, but received 

 them from western New York. The only error ol Mr. Prince was, in not 

 placing a query against the name, which many, who did know the par- 

 ticular facts in regard to this variety, supposed to be a new pear. — Ed.] 



The Fruits of America. — 1 see someone in the Horticulturist \s \eiUng 

 fly a bolt at your colored fruits. I hope and trust that envy and malice are 

 the cause, and not the badly colored or formed fruit. — Yiuwrs, M. W. Phil- 

 lips, Edwards, Miss., Sept. 1847. 



[We should have supposed that our correspondent could have seen at once 

 the malice with which the notice was penned. We only regret that the 

 editor should have allowed the insertion of feuch a pseudo anonymous para- 

 graph, when he well knew the author, as well as the spirit with which it 

 was penned. It huppens, however, that the writer is not well able to conceal 

 his style, and, though signed " W., Philadelphia,'' our Boston friends well 

 know that the author does not reside many nale^ from this city. But for 

 the query of our correspondent, we should have left Mr. " W." undisturbed 

 in the enjoyment of his self-satisfied criticism. — Ed.] 



