46 Notes and Gleanings. 



tober, and had shipped a great quantity, and never heard any complaint of their 

 quality ; a few, he thought, did not retain their flavor as well as others ; Louise 

 Bonne of Jersey were taken out the last of October ; Duchess, Winter Nelis, 

 and others he had in quantities. The Flemish Beauty was hard to mellow. The 

 Duchess he found more difficult to ripen than those kept in the ordinary method. 

 Winter Nelis and Beurre Diel held their flavor best, as far as he had observed ; 

 being as good as if they had not been in the house. Lawrence appeared to lose 

 some flavor ; but Beurre d'Anjou retained its flavor, and ripened well. The Bart- 

 lett was one of the good pears of the season : it ripens slowly in the house, and 

 retains its flavor for a while, and after that loses it. Bartlett Pears were not 

 wanted after the later ones came in. He had two hundred bushels of the early 

 kinds in the house, which he kept about six weeks, and then sold them. Inferior 

 fruit should never be put in. After taking the fruit from the house, it should be 

 kept rather cool, then put in a warmer place, but not too warm ; and all fruit 

 should be kept in the dark, if possible. He thought they should not be hurried 

 in ripening. He had kept them in the cellar, covered up, five weeks, before they 

 were ripe. Fruit wanted February first should be taken out of the house Janu- 

 ary first : it required twice as long to ripen them, and, after they were ripe, they 

 would keep as long again as those that had never been in the house. 



Mr. Hovey stated, that the Beurre Superfin was one of the pears which kept 

 best, and retained its flavor when put into the house. Usually, as Mr. Davis said, 

 it soon rotted at the core ; but specimens gathered Oct. i, put into the house, 

 and taken out Nov. 25, kept in perfect order, and were delicious Jan. i. He did 

 not think the Bartlett lost much flavor, but that its want of flavor was not noticed 

 until it was eaten with such pears as Urbaniste, Marie Louise, and others, 

 which were so much superior, that the Bartlett did not appear to be as good as 

 usual. 



Mr. Merrill said, he had taken a great deal of interest in the preservation of 

 fruit. Though he had but few pears himself, he had seen many from other per- 

 sons ; and, among others, his friend the late Mr. Briggs had sent five barrels to 

 the house. He saw them opened : they were Beurre Diel, Glout Morceau, &c., 

 all in perfect order, with no specked ones ; and he sent one bushel to Philadel- 

 phia : all retained their excellence. He had eaten Beurre Superfin, and found 

 it delicious and firm all through ; Seckel very fine ; Beurre d'Anjou, from Mr. 

 Wilder, had been taken out in perfect order, kept well, and ripened up well. 

 Bartlett, he thought, did not retain its flavor. Catawba grapes which he had 

 eaten from the house were in fine order, and Dana's Hovey could never be bet- 

 ter. He thought the acid pears kept the best. If too ripe when put in the 

 house, fruit could not be expected to keep. It should be put in perfectly clean 

 boxes or barrels : much of the fruit he saw was sent to the house in dirty boxes 

 and barrels, which gave it a bad flavor. The company should issue directions 

 when to pick, and how to put into the house. He put some in boxes, and bored 

 one and a half inch holes in them, according to Prof Nyce's advice ; but they 

 did not keep as well as in the tight barrels. 



We have condensed this account from Mr. Hovey's report ; and we think our 

 readers will be struck with one remarkable difference between the fruit kept in 



