Notes and Gleanings, 1 1 7 



PoMOLOGiCAL GLEANINGS. — We never had more striking evidence of the 

 influence of an orchard-house over the quality, size, and beauty of fruit, than was 

 afforded by two apples, part of the crop grown at Hamburg in the orchard- 

 house of Mr. Johann Wesselhoeft. One of the apples, the White Calville, is 

 well known as a large and excellent dessert-fruit : but the specimen sent was 

 larger than large ; for it measured fourteen inches in circumference, and in 

 every other merit surpassed those we have had from an open wall. The other 

 specimen was of the Melon Apple ;■ and this was the largest we ever saw of the 

 variety, being tliirteen inches and a half in circumference, most brilliantly col- 

 ored, and all that a culinary apple should be, — flesh high flavored, and cooking 

 tender. 



A correspondent, " E. M. B. A.," writes to us as follows : " In the interesting 

 account given in the Journal of the Doyenne du Comice Pear, I venture to think 

 that either the writer or the printer of the article in question has fallen into 

 a mistake in accenting the last letter of Doyenne. Turning to Contanseau's 

 French Dictionary, I find as follows : ' Doyen, s. in., i, dean ; 2 (of age), senior. 

 Doyenne, s.in., i, deanery; 2 (Pear) Doyenne.' The explanation of the latter 

 word rather implies that Doyenne is correct : nevertheless, it seems to me that 

 Doyenne should be regar.ded as the feminine of Doyen ; the v^oxA poire, which is 

 feminine, being understood. Comice is evidently derived from the Latin word 

 comitiuin, 'an assembly: ' so that ' Doyenne du Cornice' must mean ' Dean of 

 the Assembly ; ' a title to which, from the account you give, it is justly entitled. 

 It can scarcely be maintained that any one should name a pear 'The Deanery 

 of the Assembly,' instead of the Dean ; i.e., the Chief of the Assembly. The 

 one makes excellent sense : the other is little less than rubbish." 



[All authorities, French and English, place the accent on the last letter of 

 Doyenne, and, we think, correctly. The first pear so named was raised in the 

 garden of a French deanery, and literally means "the Deanery Pear." Since 

 then, many pears resembling it in some one -or more qualities have received the 

 same name, with some affix to mark that they are differing. Thus we have the 

 Doyenne d'Alen9on, or Deanery Pear of Alen<;on ; Doyenne d'Automne, or 

 Autumnal Deanery Pear ; and full twenty others. Doyenne du Comice, we 

 believe, is the Deanery Pear of the Committee ; it having obtained the special 

 approval of the Committee of the Horticultural Society of Angers.] — English 

 yoiirnal of Horticulture. 



Kansas State Horticultural Society. — The Kansas State Horticul- 

 tural Society met at Leavenworth on the isth, i6th, and 17th of December, and 

 elected William Tanner, \^^-SMtnysox\\\, president ; C. B. Lines, Wabannsee, vice- 

 president; G. C. Brackett, Lawrence, secretary; S. T. Kelsey, Ottawa, treasurer. 

 A full attendance. Interesting reports, essays, and discussions were made this 

 session, — one of the most pleasing as well as beneficial of any held in our young 

 State. 



The interest in this society is rapidly strengthening ; and all look forward to 

 its next annual meeting, to be held in Ottawa, Franklin County, as one of great 

 interest and importance in our history. G. C. Brackett, Secretary. 



