THE SAINT MICHAEL ARCHANGEL PEAR. 



Saint Michael Archangel. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xvii. 1851. 



Plumbgastel, Magazine of Horticvlture, vol. xii. 

 DusNASj of some French Cultivators. 



The Saint Michael Archange, as it is usually called 

 in the French Catalogues, is a pear which has but 

 recently become known to American cultivators, though 

 it was introduced as long ago as 1840, and fruited in 

 the late Mr. Manning's collection at Salem, under the 

 name of Plumbgastel ; subsequently we described and 

 figured it in the Magazine of Horticulture, (1846) as 

 a new variety under the latter name, and we contin- 

 ued to cultivate it for three or four years as the Plumb- 

 gastel, when we detected the error before it had borne 

 fruit, from the peculiar character of the tree, which is 

 so strongly marked that a careful observer could hardly fail to notice it. 

 It is an excellent pear, of lai^ge size, handsome and regular form, and 

 delicious flavor. The tree produces sparingly while young, which has 

 led some cultivators to consider it a shy bearer; but we have found 

 that scions, inserted in the top of an old tree, grew vigorously and bore 

 abundantly in three or four years, and the fruit was better than on the 

 young trees. We think it will become a popular pear. If the fruit is 

 gathered before it is too ripe, as it should be, it is in eating for a longer 

 time than most of our early autumn varieties. 



The origin of the St. Michael Archangel is unknown ; but it is proba- 

 bly a French variety, as it has been cultivated for several years in the 

 nurseries of Rouen. It is also grown at Angers, and in both places 

 has been described as a fine pear. It grows freely on the quince, and 

 naturally makes a beautiful pyramidal tree on either that or the pear 

 stock. 



Tree. — ^Veiy vigorous, and very erect in its habit, the branches as- 

 cending at a very acute angle, and almost perpendicular with the main 

 stem ; annual shoots, not very long, very stout, straight and erect. 



Wood. — Light yellowish olive, sparsely dotted with minute grayish 

 specks, very short-jointed, stout, straight, and shghtly swollen at the 

 ends ; old wood, grayish olive ; buds, large, long, broad at the base, 

 diverging, pointed, dark brown, covered with grayish scales, and with 

 rather prominent shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size, oval, elongated, 

 sharply pointed. 



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