THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 47 



largely on tradition, but in the case of the pear, there are such substantial 

 proofs of it in ancient pear-trees of enormous size found on the sites of old 

 French settlements, that though there are no written records, and even 

 the people and their habitations have disappeared, it is certain that the 

 seeds from which these venerable trees sprang were planted by early French 

 explorers or missionaries. The first plantings of pears made by the French 

 were in Canada. History and tradition, substantiated by ancient trees, 

 make certain that this fruit was planted by the first French settlers in 

 Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, in favored situations 

 bordering on the St. Lawrence, and on the islands in this river, notably 

 the Island of Montreal. Later plantations of fruit were set in the Niagara 

 region and along the Detroit river. No new varieties seem to have come 

 from these early plantings in Canada, but they demonstrated that pear- 

 growing was possible. 



The history of the pear in America cannot be written without making 

 note of the magnificent specimens of this fruit standing until recent years — 

 a few may still be found — about the old French settlements in Michigan, 

 Indiana, and Illinois. These are offspring of seeds brought from France. 

 A century ago the French habitants in Detroit had a tradition as to the 

 manner in which these pears were introduced. The legend ran that an 

 emigrant from France brought three pear seeds in his vest pocket, which, 

 planted on the banks of the Detroit river, became the parents through 

 suckers and seeds of the gigantic old pear-trees that have long been such 

 striking landmarks of the towns and farms on the Detroit river. No 

 doubt these trees are the remains of orchards in which there were apples, 

 and possibly some plums and cherries, of which the shorter-lived trees long 

 since disappeared, while the pears, nourishing in a green old age, are the 

 sole remaining relics of the old French settlements of this region. The 

 writer herewith puts on record another account of these truly remarkable 

 pears as he saw them in 1899. 



All of these ancient French pears are of the same type, but the fruits 

 vary slightly, indicating that the trees were grown from seeds, although 

 some may have come from sprouts since many of the trees throw out sprouts 

 abundantly. The pears are of medium size, usually turbinate, and lemon- 

 yellow is the predominating color. The ripening season runs from late sum- 

 mer to early winter. The flesh is melting, juicy, usually mildly sweet, 

 spicy, not high in quality for dessert but excellent for all culinary purposes. 

 But the most remarkable characters of these French pears are the great 



