72 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



Josephine, (or Jaminette of some.) This pear proves more 

 valuable than many suppose it to be ; it grows to a fair size, 

 keeps well, and is now in eating here, quite melting and good 

 flavored, with little or no grit at the core. This variety 

 cracks with you, I believe ; it seldom does so here. It does 

 well on the quince stock. 



Jean de Witte, although rather below the medium size, 

 has been remarkably fine this season ; now in eating, and 

 will probably last out this month ; perfectly melting and 

 juicy. Although little notice has been taken of this pear, 

 for an amateur's collection it is certainly worth cultivating. 



FoRTUNEE'' is now about ripe, but will keep yet for a month 

 later ; is rather too astringent to be valuable for a dessert 

 fruit, but estimable for stewing ; about the size of Winter 

 Nelis, and of a fine cinnamon color ; bears great crops. 



Beurre' Range is now beginning to ripen ; the specimen 

 cut to-day, although of forbidding appearance — nothing about 

 it that would be likely to attract notice — is very juicy and 

 melting to the core, when cut the juice dropping from it ; 

 very sweet sugary flavor ; will keep for a month or more. 

 This pear has a very different appearance from what it has 

 when grown in Europe, which is large and long shaped : 

 with me it has always been short and of a rounder form ; oc- 

 casionally one will be of long shape. This pear in Europe 

 is one of the best winter varieties in cultivation ; it has not 

 had such a high reputation here. It has borne frequently good 

 fair crops with me ; this is the first season, however, that I 

 have ripened them successfully. 



Belle de Noel is not so good this season as usual, lacking 

 juice ; the specimens rather small, grown on pear stock ; I 

 have had it much better on the quince. 



Chaumontelle is now ripe. This variety, also, like Beurre 

 Ranee, seems to grow round shaped, with a fine cinnamon 

 russet tinge, and a dull red on one side : it has very little re- 

 semblance to the fine long shaped pears grown in the north 

 of France and Belgium, and to be found in the Covent Gar- 

 den market of London. From what I have seen of it here, 

 I do not think it worthy of cultivation. 



