192 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



end of March, and for sweetness and flavour, ranks 

 among the very best of the winter pears. Mr. Coxe 

 complains that this tree, in our climate, is very sub- 

 ject to the fire blight, so destructive of the finest 

 and most delicate pears in this country ; and ob- 

 serves that it would be highly useful to the culti- 

 Tators of fruit could the cause or cure of this evil 

 be discovered. 



26. Saint MichcePs, or yellow butter pear. The 

 same as the Doyenne, or Dean pear. For the rich- 

 ness of its flesh, and excellence of flavour, it is 

 said to be inferiour to none except the Seckle ; and 

 few pears are more admired and extensively culti- 

 vated in the United States. The fruit is large, 

 round, inclining to oblong in shape, fair and hand- 

 some; its skin glossy and smooth, resembling un- 

 polished gold ; occasionally streaked and marked 

 with bright yellow spots. It displays either a 

 blush or bright russet on the south side. The flesh 

 of this luscious fruit is white, and the juice so re- 

 markably cold that it sometimes offends a weak 

 stomach, and occasions eructations. It should be 

 gathered before it is quite ripe, and matured in the 

 house, in order to have it in true perfection ; and 

 it may be in use from the beginning of September 

 to the first part of November. The tree does not 

 grow to a large size, but is an early and never fail- 

 ing bearer. 



27. Summer good Christian Is a large, oblong 

 fruit, with a smooth and thin skin, of a whitish 

 green colour, but red next the sun ; full of juice, 

 and of a rich perfumed flavour. It ripens in Au- 

 gust. The tree is large, and generally fruitful. 



28. Virgouleuse. " A delicious pear, of a pyra- 

 midal form, with a deep bloom, and short fleshy 

 stalk. Its peel is whitish green, and, if ripening on 

 a floor, (from December to March,) generally ac- 

 quires a fine yellow tint: its pulp melts in the 



