1854. 



NEW ENGLAND F.iBMER. 



517 



cl;iyey soils. He entirely concurred in the gener- 

 al commendation that had been bestowed upon it. 

 The Lawrence jjear was then placed upon the list 

 as a variety worthy of general cultivation, by a 

 unanimous vote. 



The Ilowell pear was next considered. Mr. 

 Maunis thought it premature to place this variety 

 on the list for general cultivation. Mr. Barry re- 

 garded it as a very fine variety, and would be wil- 

 ling to see it adopted in the list of pears for gen- 

 eral cultivatiim. Mr. Lines said the Howell had 

 all the qualities of a good pear; it was large, 

 thrifty, and of uniform growth. 



Mr. Cerehman of New York was of opinion tliat 

 the Ilowell was one of the first fruits. ]Mr. Clark 

 of Connecticut luid found that it grew admirably 

 on quince. It was a very early bearer, and trees 

 two years from bud had fruited with it. lie con- 

 sidered it a valuable variety. The President con- 

 curred with these views. Ho esteemed the Howell 

 very highly, and was willing to risk his reputation 

 by voting to place it on the list for general culti- 

 vation. Mr. Hancock moved that it be placed on 

 the list of pears wliich promise well. 



Mr. Ilovey remarked tliat there was no one who 

 knew the pear, but would say it was a good vari- 

 ety. Still he had not seen enough of the growth 

 of the tree or of the general characteristics of the 

 fruit to recommend it U r standard fruit. It ri- 

 pened in September, when we have an abundance 

 of varieties, wliich was an objection. He would 

 prefer to place it o" the list which piom:se well, 

 rather than to recommend it for general cultiva- 

 tion. 



]Mr. Manning thought it premature to place it 

 at present on the list for general cultivation, but 

 he would be glad to see it placed on the list which 

 promise well. 



Mr. Walker would place the Ilowell at the 

 head of tliat list. It was placed on thS list of va- 

 rieties which promise well. 



Tlic Beurre Superfine was next taken up. Mr 

 Cabot regarded it as a fruit of very great excel- 

 lence. It could be kept till November or Decem- 

 ber. Mr. Prince gave an opinion highly favora- 

 ble to it. 



The President remarked that his opinion con-es- 

 ponded with that of Mr. Cabot. It had all the 

 good qualities of the Brown Beurre Vvith a higher 

 flavor. 



Mr. Barry said the Beurre Superfine was one of 

 the finest of pears, — large, hardy, and the tree 

 bears young. 



Mr. Ilovey thought the society premature. — 

 The variety liad been under cultivation but three 

 years. His opinion was that the variety is unex- 

 ceptionable, but it Avas also his opinion that ithad 

 not been tried sufficiently. He was willing to put 

 it on the list that promise well. 



Dr. Eshelman of Penn.sylvania had grown this 

 variety three years. He should only recommend 

 it as very good. Tlie Beurre Superfine was placed 

 on the list of varieties that romiso well, by a 

 unanimous vote. 



The pears that were placed in the list o f varie- 

 ties wliich promise Avell were now taken up, luid 

 each variety considered separately. Quite a dis- 

 cussion arose on the quality of tlie different varie- 

 ties as they were called, and tlio experience of 

 members was various, some varieties proving in 

 Bome locations superb, in others of no value. Thc| 



discussion on this point was continued until 2 

 o'clock, when the convention adjourned, to meet 

 again at 4 o'clock. 



The Convention reassembled at four o'clock and 

 the subjects under consideration at the time of ad- 

 journment was resumed, and occupied the entire 

 time until the adjournment. Brandt..'? St. Ger- 

 nuxin was stricken from the list and disgraced by 

 a unanimous vote. Tlic Diller variety was also 

 discharged. Manning's Elizalwth was promoted 

 to the list for general cultivation. 



The discussion on the qualities of these different 

 varieties was quite full and very interesting, but 

 our limits will not permit a synopsis of the re-' 

 marks which were made. 



FIG TREES. 



When our citizens purchase figs in our mar- 

 ket, they have but little conception of the size of 

 the trees that have yielded the delicious fruit they 

 are now tasting. 



We have written this communication beneath 

 the magnificent fig trees in th.e fruit garden of 

 E. L. Beard, Esq., of San Jose. We Jiavejust 

 measured two of a group of te?i Jig trees, the least 

 of which measures 2 1-2 feet in circumference. 

 The trees of the group are fo-li/ fvct hi^h, and 

 the largest measures 5 1-4 feet in circumference ; 

 the limbs eleven feet from the ground measure 2 

 feet two inches in girth ; limps four feet from the 

 ground measured and 3 1-2 feet in circumference. 

 The leaves upon the trees measure 18 inchesacross. 

 This may seem incrcdi1)le, yet these are facts. 

 The fruit is just now ripening, and one specimen 

 before us measures eight inches in circumference. 

 Such fruit can be easily raised, and will be by 

 those who make California tlieir "home." The 

 fruit gardens of Mr. Beard* now present a cheer- 

 ing sight. Pear trees are bonding I>eiieath the 

 weight of their fruit, which Iiangs in immense 

 ropes and clusters, causing the entire trees to as- 

 sume the appearance of weeping trees. There are 

 no grounds in the State that present a finer ap- 

 pearance than those we name ; young orchards of 

 acres, numbering thousands and tens uf thousands 

 of trees, are coming into bearing, giving promise 

 of future abundance. Surely, such effort on the 

 part of our cultivator deserves a corresponding 

 reward. — California Farmer. 



Singular Anecdote of a Thrush. — Tliero is 

 much more intellect in birds than people sup- 

 pose. An ihstance of this oceurrou the other 

 day, at a slato quarry, belonging to a friend, 

 from whom I have the narrative. A thrush, not 

 aware of tlie expansive properties of gunpowder, 

 thought proper to luiild her nest on a ridge of a 

 quarry, in the very centre of which they were con- 

 stantly blasting the rock. At first, she was very 

 much discomposed by tl^e fragments Hying in all 

 directions, but still she would not quit lier chosen 

 locality ; she soon observed tliat a lieU rang when- 

 ever a train was about to l)o fired, and that at the 

 notice the workmen retired to safe positions. 



In a few days, when slie heard the bell, she 

 quitted her exposed situation, and tlew down 

 where the workmen sheltered themselves, drop- 

 ping close to their feet. There she would reman 

 until the cxjilosion had taken place, and then 

 return to her nest. The workmen observed this, 



