214 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Sept, 



HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT 



BY P. BARRY. 



Fine Summer Pears. 



We give below figures of four very fine vari- 

 eties of Summer Pears, which we have tested 

 fully, and recommend with confidence to those 

 embarking in the culture of this delicious fruit. 

 The figures are from specimens of this season's 

 growth, and the notes accompanying were made 

 as the fruit ripened. 



The culture of the Pear is but beginning to 

 receive due attention, throughout a great portion 

 of the country. Only in a kw of our best gar- 

 dens a good early pear is to be found ; rarely 

 any appear in our markets, indeed, we may say. 

 The one is the " Summer Bell," an inferior 

 coarse variety, which we hope will soon be sup- 

 planted by the really delicious sorts, among which 

 are the following : 



Fig. 19. Madela'me. 



Madelaine — (Fig. 19.) — This is an unsur- 

 passed early variety, ripening from the 20th to 

 the end of July. Fruit about medium size ; 

 regular top shaped, with a little knob on one 

 side at the base of the stalk. Stalk \h to 2 inch- 

 es long, stout, and usually curved. Eye nearly 

 even with the surface of the fruit. Skin pale 

 green, assuming a shade of lemon color when 

 fully ripe — with frequently a slight tinge of red 



on the sunny side. Flesh white, delicate, melt- 

 ing, and sweet, with abundance of fine flavored 

 juice. The tree is a vigorous, upright grower, 

 with rich, glossy, flat leaves. 



It succeeds equally well on the quince and the 

 pear stock. This season we had a young tree, 

 only two years planted out and four years old, 

 that produced a fine crop. The fruit hung in 

 clusters of 4 to 6 full, well grown specimens in 

 each. Mr. J. M. Whitney of this city, has a 

 fine standard tree which has been bearing for 

 many years, and produces, annually, abundant 

 crops. 



Skinless — (Fig. 20.) — This is an "excellent 

 variety ripening with us about the first of August, 



immediately af- 

 ter the Made- 

 laine. Fruit me- 

 dium, or rather 

 below medium 

 size ; regular 

 pyriform shape- 

 obtuse, and gen- 

 erally somewhat 

 wrinkled at the 

 base of the stem. 

 Stalk slender 

 and about IJ to 

 \h inches long. 

 Calyx pretty 

 large, and open 

 nearly even with 

 the surface. — 

 Skin very thin, 

 pale green, be- 

 coming light yel- 

 low at maturity, 

 with a sprinkling 

 of dull red spots 

 on one side. — 

 Flesh white, jui- 

 cy, melting, and 



Sampean or Skinless. Fig. 20. fine flavored. 



The tree is a rapid, handsome grower, vigor- 

 ous and erect, with rich shining foliage. The 

 fruit is produced in fine clusters. The specimens 

 before us are from a standard tree some 7 years 

 old. We have not yet tested it on the quince, 

 but think it will succeed well. 



BeMe de Bruxelles, or Belle d^Aouf. — (Fig. 

 21.) — This is every way a splendid fruit — as yet 

 quite scarce in this country — ripening with us 

 from the 10th to the last of August. Large, 

 pyriform, quite broad at the base and tapering 

 regularly into the base of the stem, wliere it is 

 usually a little wrinkled. Stalk an inch and a 

 half to 2 inches long, stout and curved, with gen- 

 erally a flesh knob on the extremity next the 

 _ti-ee. Calyx quite open, even with the surface. 

 Skin rich yellow at maturity, covered with small 

 green specks and a tinge of red on the* exposed 



