r,^vMMU:^\c, 



The Mount Vernon Pear. — Since writing the account of our visit to the 

 original tree of this variety, the specimens which Mr. Walker then gave us have 

 ripened, and proved of the finest quality. In this warm and dry season, when 

 pears ripen earlier than usual, the last one kept to about the middle of Decem- 

 ber. As mentioned in the full description given in our vol. iii., p. 144, the 

 flavor is quite novel in pears ; to us it seemed to resemble cinnamon, but a friend 

 who tasted it thought it recalled the odor of sandal-wood. The juice is sprightly 

 and vinous. 



Our good friends of the Rural New Yorker, who thought this variety identical 

 with Beurre d'Albret, must provide their pomologist with a new pair of spec- 

 tacles. Whatever general resemblance there may be between these two varie- 

 ties they are yet quite distinct, the Mount Vernon being, as we remarked in our 

 previous notice, probably a seedling from the Figue, while the affinities of 

 Beurre d' Albret are with the Brown Beurre. 



Fruit in Southern Illinois. — The shipments of fruit from Centralia, the 

 past season, were 6860 bushels strawberries, 2300 bushels raspberries, 4340 

 bushels blackberries, and 138,028 bushels peaches. The strawberry train on 

 the Illinois Central Railroad commenced running on the 22d of May, and ended 

 on the 9th of June. The peach train commenced on the 28th of July, and ended 

 the 1 6th of September. 



An Old Apple Tree. — The first apple tree set out in Bennington, Vt., in 

 June, 1 76 1, by Peter Harwood, one of the first settlers, was recently prostrated 

 by the wind. 



