8.8. Remarks upon variations in Fruits. 



be small, of a pale yellow color, and tasteless; at the same 

 time the large fruit with a bright color, and especially the 

 Wurteniburg, with a high colored red cheek, will prove very 

 superior fruit: this has given those varieties a bad name with 

 some persons. I should recommend the thinning out of all 

 the small pears, when about half grown. Dr. Van Mons 

 observes, "never thin the fiuit; the large and the small are 

 equally delicious." I cannot, after many years' observation, 

 agree to this, but believe that by a judicious thinning out at 

 the proper season, we should lose but little in bulk, and be 

 abundantly rewarded in the size, beauty, and high flavor of 

 the remaining. 



Mr. Coxe, in describing the Holland green pear, says that 

 it was "imported from Holland by the late William Clifton, 

 of Philadelphia;" but although eagerly sought for among the 

 immense importations of pear trees from Europe, no such 

 pear has been found, and, in fact, it is not described by any 

 European author. 



I remember, some years since, that Gen. Forman, of Penn- 

 sylvania, sent a basket of pears to the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society's exhibition; they were called the Bagpipe 

 pear, and were said to be a native fruit, and the particular lo- 

 cality was named. The Committee immediately recognized 

 these pears as the same as those described by IMr. Coxe as 

 the Holland green, and, depending entirely upon his authority, 

 they rejected the idea that they were a native fruit, and made 

 the report accordingly; but after revolving the subject in my 

 own mind for several years, I think I am justified in coming 

 to the conclusion that Mr. Coxe was wrong, and that the per- 

 son who exhibited the fruit was correct, and that it was a fruit 

 of native origin. Perhaps some of your correspondents in 

 Pennsylvania can give us sufficient light upon the whole sub- 

 ject. 



In connection with the above, I will only observe, that Mr. 

 Coxe was the first American writer on fruits; and that although 

 his book is generally correct, yet, not being able to reconcile 

 all his statements in my own mind, 1 took the opportunity, 

 some years since, when on a visit to New Jersey, to inquire 

 of one of his friends if he ever heard Mr. Coxe make any 

 remarks on his work; his reply was as I had anticipated, that 

 Mr. Coxe stated to him that errors had inadvertently crept 

 into his book, which it was his desire and intention to correct 

 in a second edition. 



