1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



69 



Chester, which accounts for it sjnonyme here. 

 Another account represents it as a pear of Flem- 

 ish origin. In the various properties of vigorous 

 growth, great productiveness, delicious flavor, 

 and adaptedness to all soils, and almost all cli- 

 mates, no other pear can equal the Bartlett. It 

 produces equally well in the north of Scotland 

 and in the island of Malta. 



The next best autumn pear, in all respects, ac- 

 cording to the writer's experience, is the Flemish 

 Beauty ; and then come the Louise Bon de Jersey, 

 Duchess d'Angouleme. Maria Louise, Sockle, 

 Napoleon, Ileathcot, Dix, Capiaumont, Beurre 

 d'Amaulis, Beurre Bosc, Fundante d'Automne, 

 Belle et Bonne, Beurre Spence, Cashing, Edge- 

 wood, Stevens's Genessee, Harvard, Moccas, Tjr- 

 baniste, Wurtemburg, &e. All these are good 

 varieties, and produce well on most soils. The 

 Napoleon is apt to rot at the core, but is other- 

 wise a superb pear and a prolific bearer. 



Of winter pears, the best in all respects is the 

 Beurre Diel. In some few cases it has proved a 

 shy bearer, but it is usually prolific, and is re- 

 markable for the healthy and vigorous growth of 

 its wood. The fruit is large, very heavy, very 

 juicy, sweet and delicious. The Easter Beurre 

 somewhat resembles the Buerre Diel, and is also 

 a most excellent variety. The Passe Colmar is a 

 very delicious fruit, and the tree a great bearer. 

 Then come the Beurre d'Aremberg, the Glout 

 Morceau, Van ^Nlons Leon le Clerc, ^\''inter Nelis, 

 Souverain d'Hiver, Buerre Ranee, Ne Plus Meu- 

 ria, Bezi Vact, &c. The Vicar of AYinkfield, 

 (otherwise known as "Monsieur le Cure," or 

 " Clion,") is quite extensively cultivated in this 

 region. It is not by any means a first rate des- 

 sert fruit, but it is handsome, sells well, and the 

 tree is very prolific. The fruit-grower can there- 

 fore hardly afford to discard it. 



There may be other varieties than those here 

 named, which the experience of fruit-growers has 

 proved equally worthy of cultivation ; but here 

 is variety enough in all conscience, and all these 

 the writer believes may be safely trusted by those 

 desirous of engaging in the culture of the pear. 



Why it is that our farmers will wear out a life- 

 time in accumulating broad but sterile acres for 

 their children, when they might with much less 

 toil leave them a fixr richer dowry in full-bearing 

 orchards, is not the present object of the writer 

 to discuss. He purposes, however, at his earliest 

 convenience, to give the readers of tlie New Eng- 

 land Farmer (with the leave of its editors,) his 

 views, drawn mostly from his own observation 

 and experience, in regard to the proper culture 

 of the pear, and of fruit trees generally. If 

 anything he can say shall have the effect to in- 

 spire a better appreciation of the culture of fruit, 

 he will feel himself amply rewarded. 



Somerville. E. c. P. 



WnAT A Max can Live rrox. — The vegetari- 

 ans will find an argument for their antipathy to 

 flesh, in the result of some experiments made in 

 the Glasgow prison, whei'c it was found that ten 

 persons gained four pounds of flesh each in two 

 months, eating for breakfast eight ounces of oat- 

 meal made into a porridge, with a pint of )>uttor 

 milk ; for dinner, three pounds of boiled pota- 

 toes, with salt ; for supper, five ounces of oatmeal 

 porridge, with one-half pint of butter milk. 



which costs two pence three farthings per day. 

 Ten others gained three and a half pounds of 

 flesh, eating six pounds of boiled potatoes daily, 

 taking nothing with tliem but salt. Ten others 

 ate the same amount of porridge and buttermilk, 

 without the potatoes, as tlve first ten, but for din- 

 ner had soup ; they lost one and a quarter pounds 

 of flesh each ; and twenty others, who had less 

 potatoes, but halt a pound of meat for dinner, 

 diminished in size likewise. From this, it would 

 appear that potatoes were better diet than smaller 

 quantities of animal food, at least for persons in 

 confinement ; the meat eaters, if tliey had ))eeii 

 allowed ordinary exercise, which an individual 

 usually takes when in freedom, miglit have ex- 

 hibited a very different result. — Philadelphia 

 Ledger. 



DAIRIES. 



FROM THE MIDDLESEX TR^VXSACTIONS. 



It was a general remark, as well by the visitors 

 as in the committee, that the exhibition of cattle 

 this year was much inferior to that of the last, 

 and of the several preceding years. No doubt 

 tJiis was owing to the effect of the severest drought 

 ever remembered in the country, which in many 

 towns cut ofi" the common, and 'by far the best 

 food of the cattle, reducing their yield of milk, 

 and severely injuring their appearance. Ample 

 and well watered pastures seem to be essential to 

 the production of the best and largest quantity 

 of milk and butter, and equally so to the health 

 of the cow. Soiling, feeding out grains, &c., 

 can seldom be resorted to with profit when the 

 farmer has at his command sufficient pastures for 

 his cows to range over and feed at will. It is to 

 the above cause, no doubt, that the liberal premi- 

 ums offered by the Massachusetts Society for pro- 

 moting agriculture, failed to bring out "the show 

 of stock that our society confidently hoped to have 

 seen at this exhibition. Let us hope that tlie ef- 

 fect of these premiums which are to be ofi'ered, 

 until they are awarded, will another year be such 

 as to satisfy the expectation of the public and as 

 to induce the trustees of the Slassachusctts Society 

 to repeat them. We may mention in this con- 

 nection that the same society have decided to ex- 

 tend premiums of similar amount to such other 

 county societies throughout the Commonwealth 

 as have not already received them, the next year ; 

 and the large sum of §1200 to ))e competed for 

 under the auspices of tlie Worcester society, at 

 Worcester, by all the counties in 1850. 



Tliere were five dairies of cows ofi'ered this year 

 for jiremiums. One of these, Mr. Buckminster's 

 fine herd of Devons, was deservedly admired by 

 every observer, ])ut could not bi; considered l)y 

 your committee because the proprietor failed to 

 make any statement of its history or products as 

 required by the regulations of tlie society. Four 

 other gentlemen also exliiliited cows, hnt as they, 

 with one exception, also failed to comply with the 

 regulations iirescribed by the society, the commit- 

 tee could not consider them in reference to premi- 

 ums, however well they might 1)0 thought to mer- 

 it them. Only one of these dairies produeed I)ut- 

 ter, that of Mr. A. G. Sheldon, of Wilmington. 

 Jlis carefully prepared statement will be read 

 with interest and profit. But in tiie opinion of 

 the committee, the produce was not sufficiently 



