" Hon. B. V. French, Massacliusettfl. When that pear first made its appearance in our horticul- 

 tural rooms I thouglit it unworthy, but I believe I shall now do something with it. However, I 

 don't think much of any early pear ; but notwithstanding, though I voted against its admission, I 

 shall let it remain in. 



" Mr. Ernst, from Ohio, thought little of the pear, and said that for worse pears, in his estimation, 

 he had obtained a better price. 



" Mr. Barry, of New York. I am quite surprised to hear that the Honorable gentleman from Maasa- 

 chusetts recommends that BearhorrCs heedling should be stricken out, for in New York it is a good pear. 



"Mr. HovEY, of Massachusetts. I, for one, am opposed to going back, and taking out anything 

 we have already recommended ; and I trust we shall not> during this Convention, adopt any one 

 fruit for general cultivation in regard to wliich there is the slightest doubt, I always am opposed 

 to retrograde motion. The Dearborn's Seedling is one of the best small pears, and I feel it my duty 

 to say a word in favor of it. It is a full medium-sized pear, and I have seen specimens from Western 

 New York and Massachusetts, from Utica and Rochester, as large as the average Scckels that we see. 

 We had better let it remain just where it is. It ripens on the tree, and does not rot at the core ; I 

 therefore trust it will not be removed from this list. 



" Col. Hodge, of New York. I am glad to hear good reports of it from different parts of the country, 

 but with me it has proved quite indiffei-ent, and I was glad to hear the Hon. Mr. Walker make the 

 remarks he did in regard to it. However, seeing so much opposition, I withdraw the motion. 



"Mr. IIovEY, of Massachusetts. I move that the Duchesse d' Orleans be added to the list for gen- 

 eral cultivation. I know it is a good pear, and will do well everywhere. The pear is -well known 

 around Boston, and came from France with a high reputation. It is large in size and delicious in 

 flavor. It is precisely the same as the Beurre St. Nicholas, and Mr. Rivers says he considers it fully 

 equal in flavor to the Bergamot. 



" Mr. Saul, of New York. This pear has proved very good in our locality ; but we hardly know 

 enough of it to recommend that it should be brouglit into general cultivation. 



"Mr. Walker, of Massachusetts. I have had the Duchesse d' Orleans in my collection for three or 

 four years, and think it should be annexed to the list of pears that promise well ; but I have no 

 doubt it will find its way upon the list for general cultivation when better known. 



" The President, Hon. M. P. Wilder, of Massachusetts. On the quince it is not a good grower with 

 me ; but on the pear it is, and produces a fine and handsome fruit. It has not been with me a great 

 bearer, although I have a pretty fair crop tliis year, and perhaps enough for the tree. I should judge 

 my experience does not agree with that of Mr. Manning, who has called it a great bearer. But as 

 regards the quality and beauty of the fruit, I think there can be no doubt. 



" Mr. Barry, of New York. We have tested it on the quince and pear, and its quality is very 

 fine; and I believe it is going to be one of the finest pears for cultivation. I think, liowever, it 

 ■would not be doing the pear justice at the present time to put it on the list for general cultivation, 

 as it is not sufficiently well known for many to vote understandingly in regard to it. 



"It was agreed that the Duchesse d' Orleans remain on the list as promising well. 



"ilr. Saul. I move that the Brandywine and Chancellor stand on the list as giving promise of 

 being worthy. 



" This motion was agreed to. 



"Mr. Harvey. I move that the Doyenne d'Ete be placed on the list for general cultivation. 



" ilr. Ernst, of Ohio. It has proved to be an exceedingly beautiful fruit, and I can cheerfully 

 vote for it as far as my experience goes. 



"Mr. S. B. Parsons. We consider it in Flushing the first good pear. 



" Mr. Saul. It has proved to be one of the very best small pears. 



"The President. I enter into the views of those who have already spoken, but think it will be 

 better on the pear tlian on the quince. 



" Mr. Hancock, of New Jersey. I think it is better on the pear than on the quince. 



"Mr. IIovEY. It don't make that vigorous tree on the quince that it does on the pear. 



"Mr. Walker, of Atassachusetta. From such a mass of evidence in favor of this jiear, I would 

 liardly venture to say that I differ ; but yet I can not be silent. It does not strike me as being so 

 delicious as represented, and on the quince stock it is decidedly a poor grc'wer. It drops its fruit, 

 and it bears rather the reverse character to a first rate grower witli me. On its ov.'ii stock it does 

 better and the fruit is larger; but I think the gentlemen overrate the pear. If my specimens are a 

 fair sample of the fruit, I venture to say that in two or three yeai-s hence they will change their 

 views of the matter. I hope the chair will give his opinion in full. 



"Hon. M. P. Wilder, of M;ussachusett8. I have already expressed an o]"iinion, that on the pear 

 stock it is a desirable variety, and the remarks that have been made in regard to it on the quince, 

 correspond with my own expei-ience. It should be picked before the season of its ripening. It comes 

 at a pei-iod when there is nothing so beautiful. We have the Aladeleinc at nearly the same time ; 

 but I still think it a desirable variety in rich soils. 



" Mr. Barry, of New York. The impression we have got is that it is decidedly the best early 

 pear. At Utic:i, the other evening, there was a small Convention of fruit growers, and they decided, 

 uaauimously, that this was the best early pear. It ripens with us before the Madeleine, and is deci- 

 dedly better. It is a splendid grower on the quince, and so it is on the pear, and when it comes off 

 the tree it is full of juice and luscious. 



