240 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mat 



FLEMISH BEAUTY PEAR. 



The Flemish Beauty is universally admitted, 

 we believe, to be one of the finest pears now un- 

 der cultivation. "In good soils," Downing says, 

 "and upon open situations, the Flemish Beauty 

 is certainly one of the most superb pears in this 

 climate. AVe have seen specimens, grown on the 

 banks of the Hudson which measured twelve 

 inches in circumference, and were of the finest 

 quality. 



"The tree is very luxuriant, and bears early 

 and abundantly ; the young shoots upright, dark 

 brown. It should be remarked, however, that 

 the fruit requires to be gathered sooner than 

 most pears, even before it parts readily from the 

 tree. If it is then ripened in the house, it is al- 

 ways fine, while, if allowed to mature on the tree, 



it usually becomes soft, flavorless, and decays 

 soon. 



"Fruit large, obovate. Skin a little rough, the 

 ground pale yellow, but mostly covered with 

 marblings and patches of light russet, becoming 

 reddish brown at maturity, on the sunny side. 

 Stalk rather short, from an inch to an inch and 

 a half long, and pretty deeply planted in a pecu- 

 liarly narrow, round cavity. Calyx short, open, 

 placed in a small round basin. Flesh yellowish- 

 white, not yery fine-grained, but juicy, melting, 

 very saccharine and rich, with a slightly musky 

 flavor." In eating last of September. 



Col. Wilder says, "It is a very large, beautiful, 

 melting pear. One of the best in cultivation. 

 I Ripe in October." 



