1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



287 



Coe's Transparent. — This is a new seed- 

 ling raised in the interior of Connecticut, to 

 which the highest character has been given. — 

 The Horticulturist says that "it is undoubtedly, 

 with the exception of Downer's Late, the finest 

 American cherry we have yet tasted. Its merits 

 appear to be, first, earlineas — the season of its 

 maturity being just before that of the Black Tar- 

 tarian ; second, unusual beauty of appearance 

 and delicacy of flavor ; third, great hardiness 

 and productiveness." 



Coming nearer home we have a fine seedling 

 raised by our friend Zera Burr, of Perrinton, 

 which has been exhibited for two years past at 

 our Horticultural shows. Our absence last year 

 in the cherry season prevented us from seeing it 

 in bearing, and forming a decided opinion as to 

 its merits over other varieties of the same season. 

 We shall do so next season, however, if circum- 

 stances permit. From what we have seen and 

 heard of it, we shall be mistaken if it does not 

 prove equal to most of the new varieties lately 

 introduced. 



The fact that, in one season, we have over a- 

 dozen new seedling cherries named and introdu- 

 ced, leads us to anticipate a rapid extension of 

 our list. We trust, however, that every precau- 

 tion will be taken, in the proper quarters, to ex- 

 clude every one that does not bring with it dis- 

 tinctness of character and undoubted superiority. 

 Otherwise we shall get flooded with an endless 

 variety of very ordinary cherries — people are 

 so partial to, and inclined to over estimate, their 

 own productions. 



The Washington Pear. 



This is an American seedling of undoubted 

 excellence ; indeed, from what we have seen of 

 it we think it very rarely surpassed. We have 

 eaten specimens grown the past season in West- 

 ern New York, that, to our taste, were quite as 

 delicious as a first rate Seckel or White Doyenne. 

 It possesses, too, much distinctness of character, 

 from its peculiarly oval form and prominent red 

 spots on the sunny side. Its history is correctly 

 given, as follows, by Landreth : 



" The Washington Pear is a seedling discovered in a 

 hedge row on the estate of Col. Robinson of Naaman's 

 Creek, Delaware, some forty-eight or fifty years ago. We 

 are informed by our friend, Dr. Thompson of Wilmington, 

 that the tree still stands, vigorous and healthy, producing 

 from 14 to 16 bushels of fruit annually. Dr. T. says : ' So 

 far as my recollection of it goes, it has never suffered from 

 disease or been attacked by blight, and I have never known 

 the fruit of the original tree or one of its descendants by 

 budding or grafting to crack as does the fruit of the old 

 Beurre or Butter.' Dr. T. adds — 'Delaware has some 

 State pride in this pear, as Pennsylvania has in her fine 

 Seckel, than both of which I have yet to see their superi- 

 ors among autnmn pears.' In the opinion of some compe- 

 tent judges he might have gone a little farther and said their 

 equals, and yet from some unaccountable cause, the Wash- 

 ington is comparatively unknown — Coxe does not even 

 name it in his ' View of the Cultivation of Fruits,' publish- 

 ed in 1817 ; and Kenrick, from the notice of it in his " Or- 

 chardist " had evidently never seen it. Downing has seve- 



ral typographical errors in his description ; that portion des- 

 tined to be history should be amended in his next edition.' 



(Fig. 66.) Washhigton Pear. 



It may be described as follows : Size, medium ; 

 form, oval or rather long obovaie — quite regu- 

 lar and uniform. Stalk pretty long, over an 

 inch, usually somewhat curved and in a very 

 slight depression — frequently a little fleshy ring 

 around the base. Calyx small, open in a shal- 

 low basin. Skin bright lemon, yellow at matu- 

 rity, sprinkled with small brown dots, and fre- 

 quently with a ruddy cheek, and mottled with 

 distinct red spots on the sunny side. FlesJi, 

 like the White Doyenne, white fine grained, 

 buttery and melting. Flavor delicious. Ripe 

 during the last half of September— but frequent- 

 ly continuing, here, through the first two weeks 

 of October. In Pennsylvania and Delaware it 

 ripens in August and lasts till September. We 

 noticed during the past season that there is near- 

 ly a month of diflference in the ripening of fruits 

 between Philadelphia and Western New York. 



Last autumn there was a pear sold in the Ro- 

 chester market, for several weeks by the fruit 

 sellers, as the Washington, from Perrinton we 

 believe. It was oblong and yellow like the 

 Washington, with smaU red dots on the sunny 

 side, but was uniformerly larger, and more swol- 

 len around the stem which was shorter. The 

 flesh is coarser and deficient in juice. Although 

 of tolerable quality and very showy aud saleable 

 on the street, it still is so inferior to the Wash- 

 ington as to be unworthy of even a comparison. 



A SENSIBLE man finds no real pleasure in con- 

 solation — he seeks forgetfulness. 



