NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



209 



ST. GHISTLAIN PEAR. 



This pear is of a fine texture, and usually high 

 quality. It is a native of Belgium, and ranks among 

 the best pears for garden culture, under careful man- 

 agement. But notwithstanding the excellent quality 

 of the fruit, it is not adapted to general orchard cul- 

 ture for the market, or for this market, as it is too 

 small to sell for what it is really worth. Wc have 

 seen them in the market, in fine condition, but the 

 sale dull ; and one cultivator of this fruit in this 

 vicinity, who has about twenty trees, informs us that 

 he shall change them to some other variety, as the 

 size is too small for the market, though tlio quality 

 is first rate. Sometimes a superior pear attains a 

 high reputation, and sells well in market, though 

 rather small. This is the case with the Seckel ; but 

 it comes in when pears arc not usually very plenty, 

 and it attained its high character when but few vari- 

 eties were cultivated. With the great variety of 

 excellent pears now generally known, and several 

 ripening with this kind, and as the St. Ghistlain, 

 like most foreign pears, is variable, it will never gain 

 a notoriety that will cause it to sell for what it is 



worth in the market, — that is, in this market, with 

 the present preference for large fruit. 



Characteristics. — Size medial ; pyriform, neck nar- 

 row and tapering ; pale yellow, sometimes a red 

 tinge ; stem usually an inch and a half long, varjdng 

 from slender to stout, and fleshy at the fruit ; very 

 shallow basin ; flesh whitish, fine, melting, buttery, 

 juicy, of a fine delicious flavor, first rate when in 

 perfection, but occasionally varying to second rate. 

 Ripens in September, and is better when gathered 

 rather early, and ripened in the house. Growth 

 upright and vigorous. Shoots light brown. Hardy 

 and productive. It flourishes well on its own stock 

 or as a dwarf. 



Our drawing is made from specinjens presented by 

 our liberal friend, Mr. Andrew Lackey, Jr., Marblc- 

 hcad, where wc saw, last season, a tree of this vari- 

 ety, grown on the English white thorn, and trained 

 on a building, of large size, remarkable vigor, and 

 well loaded with the finest looking fruit that wc ewr 

 saw of this variety. It Avas sufficiently large to sell 

 well in market. 



