AUTUMN PEARS. 247 



Gage among plums, it is regarded as the standard of ex- 

 cellence. Its high musky perfume is not, however, agree- 

 able to all. Early mid-autumn. Shoots stout, short, 

 ascending, tree very hardy. Needs rich cultivation. Ori- 

 gin, near Philadelphia, and succeeds well throughout the 

 northern, middle, and western states, and is remarkably 

 free from the blight. 



Williams' Early. Size rather small or medium, obovate, 

 varying 1 to roundish-turbinate, regular ; skin smooth, clear 

 light yellow, with a bright red cheek of thick scarlet dots 

 on the sunny side ; stalk an inch and a fourth long, 

 straight, not sunk, often fleshy at insertion ; basin small, 

 slightly furrowed; flesh yellowish white, rather coarse, 

 melting, half buttery, juicy, rich, slightly musky. Ripens 

 the first two weeks of autumn. Shoots dark. A good 

 second-rate fruit, valuable for ripening before the most 

 of autumn pears. Origin, Roxbury, Mass. 



Swan's Egg. (Syn. Moor-fowl Egg, incorrectly.} Small, 

 oval or obovate, crown narrow ; skin pale green, with a 

 pale brownish blush ; stalk an inch and a fourth long, 

 slender, scarcely sunk ; basin none ; flesh soft, juicy, 

 sweet, somewhat musky. A third-rate variety, ripening 

 about mid-autumn. Shoots dark, long, flexuous. Old 

 English. 



CLASS III. ROUNDISH OR OBLATE. 

 Section I. Large Pears. 



Belle et Bonne. Large, roundish, slightly oblate, and 

 remotely obconic, base much flattened ; surface pale 

 greenish yellow, thickly dotted ; stalk an inch and a half 

 long, slender, cavity deep, narrow; calyx closed or erect, 

 basin broad ; flesh white, coarse, sweet, buttery when 

 well ripened, of second-rate quality. Ripens rather early 

 in autumn. Growth strong. 



