EEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FEUITS. 91 



our appreciation of the efforts made by Messrs. Clapp to add to 

 our list of fine pears, and their remarkable and deserved success. 



Mr. Francis Dana showed on the 26th of October a seedling pear, 

 much like Lawrence in shape and color, though with a whiter skin ; 

 the flavor also like Lawrence. November 2d he presented another 

 seedling, so much like Excellentissima as to me hardly worthy of 

 cultivation as a distinct variety, and on the 9th of November the 

 " George Augustus," very much like Winter Nelis, but larger and 

 more oblong, and not quite so rich ; and the "Mace," of medium 

 size, oval, russet, very good. The seedling pears from Mr. Alex- 

 ander Dickinson and Mr. Charles Bird have been again shown, but 

 do not appear to possess superior merit. 



The Eastern Belle was again presented by Mr. Henry McLaugh- 

 lin, of Bangor, Maine, the specimens larger than before, and 

 otherwise sustaining its high character. 



One of the most remarkable collection of seedling pears that we 

 have ever seen was brought to the rooms by Hon. M. P. Wilder. 

 They were grown by Mr. B. Fox, of San Jose, Cal. They were 

 all from seed of the Belle Lucrative, but with one exception, no 

 resemblance to the mother variety could be detected, while a 

 very strong likeness to some of the other standard varieties was 

 apparent to the most supez-ficial observer. One of them could not 

 be distinguished from the Winter Nelis ; others bore very strong 

 resemblance to Bloodgood, Seckel, Lawrence, Josephine de Ma- 

 lines, Beurre'Supcrfin, etc. Such striking resemblances could be 

 explained only by the supposition that the flowers of the Belle 

 Lucrative had been fertilized from trees of these other varieties 

 standing near. It was stated that the tree which bore the pear 

 of Winter Nelis character, resembled the Beurre d'Anjou in habit 

 so much that it might be taken for one. 



The show of pears at the Annual Exhibition was fully up to 

 the usual standard ; but, like all other departments, probably not 

 as full as it would have been but for the severe rain storm at the 

 time. For the sake of comparison we give an analysis, the same 

 as last 3^ear, of the varieties in the prize collections. Li the two 

 hundred dishes there were 16 Bartlett, 14 Duchess, 13 Beurre 

 Bosc, 12 Louise Bonne, 11 each of Beurre d'Anjou and IJrbaniste, 

 10 Lawrence, 9 each of Sheldon and Seckel, 8 each of Beurre 

 Clairgeau, Beurre Hardy and Beurr^ Superfin, 7 each of Belle Lu- 

 crative and Howell, 5 each of Doj^enne du Comice, Marie Louise, 



