THE SAINT GHISLAIN PEAR. 



Saint Ghislain. London Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 2d Ed. 1832. 



The Saint Ghislain pear was jSrst introduced to our 

 collections by the late Saml. G. Perkins, Esq. of Brook- 

 Hne, who fruited it several years ago, and repeatedly 

 exhibited specimens before the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society. He praised it highly, and recom- 

 mended it to amateur cultivators • as one of the best 

 of our autumn pears. It is unnecessary to say it fully 

 sustains the reputation it acquired while in Mr. Per- 

 kins's collection. It is not a large pear, being about 

 the size, and of the general appearance, of the Tyson or 

 Capiaumont, but it is an exceedingly melting, rich and 

 high flavored fruit, and as beautiful as it is excellent, having a remarka- 

 bly fair and golden yellow skin. 



Besides the brief description of it in the Catalogue of the London 

 Horticultural Society, above quoted, we cannot find any account of it in 

 any accessible work, except in Mr. Kenrick's American Orchardist, where 

 its origin is attributed to M. Dorlain, of Belgium. Mr. Perkins imported 

 his tree from France, and we believe we are correct when we state that 

 all the trees now cultivated here have originated from that source. It 

 does not appear to be much known among the French nurserymen. 

 When it was raised from seed, or how long it has been in cultivation, 

 we have been unable to learn. 



The Saint Ghislain is a rapid though somewhat slender growing tree 

 in the nursery, making very upright shoots, and attaining, when of 

 full size, the prim appearance of a Lombardy poplar. It is not an early 

 bearer, the trees showing but little disposition to form flower buds until 

 they have arrived at a good size : it then produces abundantly. It 

 does not grow very freely upon the quince. On the thorn, however, it 

 thrives exceedingly well, and Mr. A. Lackey, a fruit cultivator of Mai'ble- 

 head, Mass., has shown, successively, for four or five years, at the 

 exhibitions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the most beauti- 

 ful specimens raised on that stock, and our drawing is made from one 

 of his pears. Whether it will be any object to cultivate it on the thorn 

 remains to be seen ; we only mention it to show what it has already 

 done. 



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