244 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Early Catharine. — 1 purchased a tree for this 

 kind many years past, but when it came to bear 

 it proved to be the green Catharine. I have since 

 purchased another for tiie early Catharine, which 

 has not yet borne with mc. Coxe saye, " this is 

 more generally admired than any summer pear; 

 it is remarkably fine, rich, wnxy and luscious. 

 Its (brni Eomewhai like a calabash, wiih a long 

 curve neck, and a long fleshy stem ; (he skin is on 

 one side yellow, the other a rich russet or brown- 

 ish-red." Coxe's cut of this pear, exclusive of 

 stem, is 2^ inches in length, its greatest breadth 

 1| of an inch, which is about f inch from the 

 blospom end. 



English gargonelle, or summer bell. This 

 variety has not borne with me as yet. Coxe says, 

 "it is a tolerably large pear," "with a neck 

 somewhat curved, and diminishing to a small 

 point, with a long stalk, fleshy towards its 

 junction with the fruit, the skin is a light green, 

 with small cloudy spots, blended with russet, par- 

 ticularly near the stem, the cheek next to the sun 

 has frequently a brownish-red color.'T Coxe's 

 cut of this is about 2^ inches in length, its great- 

 est breadth 1| of an inch, which is about one 

 inch from the blossom end. 



Seckle. — This is considered the finest pear 

 known, and is supposed to have originated in the 

 vicinity of Philadelphia, and is called after the 

 name of the individual on whose farm it is sup- 

 posed to have originated. Coxe says, "the form 

 and appearance vary with aspect, age and cul- 

 tivation, the size generally is small, the form re- 

 gular, round at the blossom end, diminishinfr. 

 with a gentle swell towards the stem, which is 

 rather short and thick; the skin is sometimes 

 yellow, with a bright red cheek, and smooth, at 

 other times a perfect russet, without any blush." 

 "The tree is singularly vigorous and beautiful, 

 of great regularity of growth and richness of fo- 

 liage ; very hardy, and possessing all the charac- 

 teristics of a new variety." Cox's cut of this is 

 about 2f inches in length, its greatest breadth 2^ 

 inches, which is about an inch from the blossom 

 end. I have two trees of this variety that have 

 been in bearing Ibr some years; they have been 

 very healthy and productive, and not injured in the 

 least by the blight. But with this pear there is 

 a drawback that I have not seen noticed by any 

 writer. About the time of ripening, storms beat 

 down great numbers of them ; they generally 

 have broken stems; probably the limbs, which 

 grow close and thick, are forced with too much 

 violence against them ; the stems may also be 

 more brittle than usual. As they fall so they re- 

 main, never becoming any riper. 



Yellow butter and St. Michael. — This is consi- 

 dered in excellence next to the Seckle, and a much 

 larger pear, though Coxe has given cuts about the 

 same size. However, this error may be consider- 

 ed corrected, as he calls it a large pear. This pear 

 is said to be better wheu gathered before it is ripe 

 and housed. I cannot say how this is, but I have 

 eaten some very fine ones that storms had t)eatpn 

 down several weeks before the lime of ripening, 

 that had been housed. It is said to be " a never- 

 failing and abundant bearer, and produces (iuit at 

 an early age. The tree is of small size."' I had 

 two trees of this kind, that bore with me Ibr 

 several years, but lost them both by the blight. I 

 think it probable trimming caused their death. 



'[ From the great vigor and rapidity of the vegeta- 

 tion in America, pear trees, if much pruned, are 

 apt to grow too fast. This appears to render them 

 more liable to the effects of the fire blight than 

 otherwise they would be." 



Echasserie. — This pear has been extensively 

 cultivated in our country ibr a great number of 

 years, and is represented as an excellent pear, 

 hardy, very productive, and bearing abundantly 

 at a very early age; it is rather a small pear. 

 Years past I purchased a tree, lor this kind, but it 

 proved otherwise. I have now some few trees 

 grafted from a tree of this kind, owned by an ac- 

 quaintance ot mine, who is very much pleased 

 with it. Mr. Prince says, Coxe erroneously calls 

 it the ambrette. Coxe says the ambrette, " when 

 ripe, is green ; the skin rough with email russet 

 spots, and some black clouds. Neither the crown 

 nor stalk end is indented. The flesh is rich, juicy, 

 and highly flavored." Coxe's cut of the ambrette 

 is 2| inches in length, its greatest breadth nearly 

 2^- inches, which is near the middle. 1 have been 

 more particular in the description of pears than 1 

 should otherwise have been, in consequence of 

 their being very subject to the blight, for the pear- 

 tree cannot be regrafted, like the apple, without 

 running a great risk of losing the stock by the 

 blight. I iiave planted out a good many quince 

 stocks where they are to stand, and recently 

 grafted the Catharine and Gargonelle to them, a 

 little below the ground. Coxe says the pear 

 "will take on the quince either by inoculation or 

 ingraft in<7. The former mode performed above 

 ground will produce dwarf trees; the latter mode, 

 under ground, in the root, will in some varieties 

 improve the pear ; in all it will form a strong vi- 

 gorous tree." The quince is much used for in- 

 grafting summer tender pears, and for espaliers ; 

 they do not suit winter pears so well, as they are 

 apt to crack." Another author says, the pear in- 

 grafted on the quince " has the property of giving 

 to the fruit it bears greater precocity, an increased 

 size and improved flavor, but with this drawback, 

 that the quantity is small, and product short-lived, 

 as the age of the tree seldom exceeds ten or 

 twelve years," 



Peaches. — The first peach orchard I ever plant- 

 ed was made up of the finest varieties I could ob- 

 tain in the neighborhood. The site was fixed on, 

 and the holes dug, four feet deep and tour feet 

 wide, and filled up with two ox-loads of rich earth, 

 mostly from the adjoining woods ; the other earth 

 used was rich earth from under some old peach 

 trees. This earth was used after I left home in 

 the morning, under the impression it was richer 

 than the other. On m,y return home I found what 

 had been done, and anticipated the result. I had 

 read enough to know that the sue of an old or- 

 chard was not a proper place (or a new one of the 

 same kind ; and in this case 1 thouirhl it would be 

 much worse, as the earth was put in the very 

 holes in which the trees were to stand. However, 

 as I was not very partial to the site, 1 determined 

 to plant the trees, and see the result. The trees 

 were planted, and in a few days there came a 

 heavy rain, and the earth in the holes sank very 

 much, though it had been partially trodden. The 

 trees sank so low, and were so much thrown out 

 of a line, they had to be pulled up and replanted, 

 and before the ensuing year a good many died, 

 others looked sickly, and some were quite flourish- 



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