PEARS. 



377 



were able to stand it without injury. Pear trees, as well as 

 Peach trees, within the last twenty-five years have suffered 

 injury fi-om some cause or other. Let us examine the matter 

 by facts which have come under our own observation. During 

 the period specified, we find that a decay about Peach trees 

 first showed itself in Pennsylvania, afterwards in New-York, 

 and finally extended over all the country ; within the same pe- 

 riod, in certain districts of France, their finest kinds of Pears 

 failed, decayed, and in some parts were destroyed ; in Eng- 

 land the same effects were observed in certain districts on 

 then- Apples. Certain Pomologists, with Mr. Knight at their 

 head, undertook to explain the whole mystery, by asserting 

 that the old and fine sorts of fruit had run out, and were, in 

 a manner, extinct by age. This theoiy sounded well, and 

 was believed by many to be the case. Two of their most 

 celebrated apples, the Golden Pippin and the Nonpareil, 

 were according to this theory absolutely defunct twenty 

 years ago. But this is not the case, even at this day, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Lindley ; he says of the Golden Pippin : 

 *' This Apple is considered by some of our modern writers 

 on Pomology to be in a state of decay, its fruit of inferor 

 quahty, and its existence near its termination." " I cannot 

 for a moment agree with such an opinion, because we have 

 facts annually before our eyes completely at variance with 

 such an assertion," and " so far from this being a fact, the 

 fruit in C event Garden and the Borough Markets during 

 the fruit season, and indeed every other large market in the 

 southern or midland counties of England will be found spe- 

 cimens of fruit, as perfect, and as fine, as any which have 

 been either figured, or described by any writer whatever, 

 either in this, or in any other country," and " instead of the 

 trees being in a state of ' rapid decay,' they may be found 

 o? unusually large size, perfectly healthy, and their crops 

 abundant; the first perfect in form, beautiful in colour^ and 

 excellent in quality," 



Of the next Apple run out by age, according to this theory, 

 the Nonpareil, (See No. 175, page 67,) Lindley observes, 

 (in 1831,) " The trees are regularly good bearers, and when 

 grafted on the Doucin stock, upon good soil, and under ju^ 

 dicious management, their fruit is as perfect as the best of 

 our newest productions.^^ I may here just observe, that the 

 Peaches are fine and plenty now in the Philadelphia markets ; 

 that large orchards of them may be be fovrnd pear New 



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