98 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



in the nursery business, Mr. John McAffee, lately informed the 

 chairman of your Committee that there were three hundred or 

 more varieties. In examining a volume on " The Pear-Tree," 

 by Thomas W. Field, printed in New York in the year 1859, 

 we count up one hundred and sixty-eight native varieties and 

 six hundred and eighty-two varieties of foreign origin, besides, 

 interspersed among the last named, six hundred and fifty-three 

 synonyms, or those similar to others but of different names. 

 These all foot up one thousand five hundred and three varieties. 

 Deducting the synonyms, we have left, native and foreign, 

 eight hundred and fifty substantial varieties. 



From the lists collected from about thirty of the fruit-growers 

 on this island, we find nearly eighty different varieties cultivated 

 here, besides, as in the case of the apple, the statement that 

 there are more or less whose names are not known to the owner. 

 There are, therefore, not many less than one liundred varieties 

 of pears in the county. From our collected list we add together 

 the testimony of a very considerable number of fruit-growers 

 who have been questioned as to the best varieties for our soil 

 and climate ; for the man who designs to plant a few trees will 

 certainly want those best adapted, and the one who plants exten- 

 sively will want to do the same. We may omit some as good, 

 but name the following : — 



Doyenne d'Ete, ripe in July and August. 



Jargonelle, English, ripe in July and August. 



Dearborn's Seedling, ripe in August. 



Bloodgood, ripe in August. 



Tyson, ripe in August and September. 



Bartlett, ripe in September. 



Flemish Beauty, ripe in September. 



Trescott and Buffum, ripe in September. 



Seckel, ripe in September and October. 



Louise Bonne de Jersey, ripe in September and October. 



Belle Lucrative, ripe in September and October. 



Beurre Clairgeau, ripe in October. 



Duchesse d'Angouleme, ripe in October. 



Vicar of Winkfield, ripe from November to January. 



Lewis, ,a great bearer, ripe from November to February. 



Catillac, will keep from December to April. 



