FEBRUARY. 81 



by M. Dnreaii de la Malic, upon the " return of a compara- 

 tively modern variety of the pear to one more ancient"; and 

 Dr. Lindley, in commenting upon this, states that "although 

 the essential properties of a fruit have been supposed to be 

 retained by the original seedling, as well as its derivatives 

 except by seed, during the whole period of their existence, the 

 memoir in question " would seem to lead to a different con- 

 clusion"; a theory which Ave did not suppose he would 

 admit, and which, by the evidence, does not appear to be 

 sustained. In truth, the whole matter upon which M. Malle 

 has founded his statement is one of so little weight, that we 

 are surprised his memoir should have been read before such a 

 learned body, and, least of all, considered of any consequence 

 whatever — as certainly it would not have been, if there were 

 many well informed pomologists among its members. M. 

 Malle's discovery is nothing more than what takes place ev- 

 ery year, and is so common as to attract no notice, unless 

 among novices in fruit culture. We copy his remarks, as re- 

 ported in the Chronicle : — 



"Return of a comparatively modern variety of pear, Do- 

 yenne galen.v, to one more ancient, the Doyenne hlanc, other- 

 wise called Poire de Cire or de Belle jille. — This beautiful 

 glossy pear, of a pale golden yellow color, tinted with ver- 

 milion, and which on that account is called Poire de Belle 

 Jille in Maine and Anjou, is well known. But a handsome 

 exterior is seldom an indication of internal goodness, and this 

 fruit, beautiful as it is, has a soft woolly flesh, like that of a 

 turnip. The Doyenne galeux, on the contrary, is smaller ; 

 its skin, which is greenish white, is marked with black 

 specks ; its form is not so regular, but its skin is fine, and its 

 flesh is close-grained, rich, juicy, melting, and very sugary, 

 with a peculiar perfume, Avhich is somewhat musky when 

 the skin under one of the specks begins to decay. The fruit 

 will keep for two months, a property which early pears rarely 

 possess. Nevertheless, at Paris the beautiful has excluded 

 the good from the shops of the fruiterers, where I have often 

 sought, but never found it. For the last one hundred and 

 fifty years, scarcely any other variety of Summer Doyenne, 



VOL. XXII. NO. 11. 11 



