1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



97 



THE liAWKENCE PEAR. 



Since Downing wrote of this pear, in his edi- 

 tion of the "Fruits and Fruit Trees of America," 

 of 1848, it has been fruited and tested by many 

 persons, who generally agree that it is among our 

 best quality of pears. It has not often been pic- 

 tured, and we therefore, find a new pleasure in 

 presenting it, together with the description at 

 first referred to. 



The Lawrence pear is a new variety, which will, 

 undoubtedly, take its place among those of the 

 first quality. It is a seedling, which sprung up 

 in Flushing, L. I., in the neighborhood of two 

 other pear trees only, the St. Germain and the 

 White Doyenne, and bears some proofs, in its 

 qualities, of being a natural cross between the 

 two. Messrs. Wilcomb and King, nursery-men, 

 of that place, first introduced this pear to notice; 

 we learn from them that it produces regular and 

 abundant crops, and the fruit is not inclined to 

 rot or shrivel, commencing to ripen in October, 

 and will keep till March. The tree is moderate- 

 ly vigorous, and has thorny, rather slender, light 

 yellowish-brown shoots. 



Fruit rather large, obovote, narrowing to an 

 obtuse end, and a little irregular; pale, yellow- 

 ish-green, m irked with small patches of greenish- 



brown. Calyx set in a rather deep basin. Flesh 

 yellowish-white, melting, juicy, with a very rich 

 and sugary flavor. 



For the Netr England Farmer. 

 CUliTIVATE THE MIND AND THE SOIL. 



In a previous article I attempted to gather 

 from the published returns of the census of the 

 United States and of Boston, some idea of the 

 proportion which the learned classes bear to the 

 whole population, for the purpose of ascertaining 

 the inducements which the law of demand and 

 supply off'ers to the great mass of our young men 

 for an exchange of physical for intellectual em- 

 ployment. 



The result of that investigation was the con- 

 clusion that about one in a hundred may be class- 

 ed with the "learned professions." Yet, small as 

 is this proportion, it is well known that these 

 professions are uncomfortaV)ly crowded. For years 

 the religious press has literally groaned with ap- 

 peals for a half-paid, starving clergy ; every vil- 

 lage has nearly as many doctors as patients ; and 

 lawyers have so multiplied of late, that one of 

 the Boston daily papers devoted its leading col- 

 umn, a few weeks since, to an enumeration of the 



