Retrospective Cnticism. 271 



long engrafted also on a new and English name, which name you have 

 decided to be the only true one. 



At the time Mr. Manning had made the discovery as before stated, he 

 further informed me, that this being a neio fruit, had no relation whatever 

 with the Saint Lezain, which is known to be an old fruit ; and that ac- 

 cording to Monsieur Vilmorin it ought to be called " CIio7i." With his 

 approbation, and on that high authority, I have adopted " Clio7i," or 

 rather " Curt of Clion,^^ as the only proper name — names alone, which 

 combined, may serve also to illustrate its original history beyond dispute. 



In France, Monsieur Vilmorin is deemed very high authority ; the 

 accounts of many of the most new, useful and remarkable productions, as 

 published in the '■'■ Bon Jardinier,''' being written by him; he having 

 been for many years the co-laborer with the venerable M. Poiteau, as edi- 

 tor of that celebrated work, and deemed also by Mr. Loudon as the most 

 useful man on all accounts in France. In years past, he has sent many 

 trees to this country to Messrs. Perkins and others, of many valuable 

 new varieties of fruits, all which he had purchased of others, he being 

 720^ a nurseryman. He is a seedsman ; and if, as a republican, I may be 

 allowed the use of an anti-republican word, he is in that country the 

 prince of seedsmen. He is also a " Chevalier of the Legion of Honor," 

 which mark of distinction he received from Louis Phillipe, on account of 

 his exalted eminence in his profession. 



The following is the translation of a conmrunication of Monsieur Vil- 

 morin, as inserted by him in the Annals of the Society of Horticulture of 

 Paris; Livraison, No. 3, for November, 1827 : 



" In 1823, M. de la Tremblaye, a distinguished amateur and proprietor 

 of Clion, in the Canton of Chatillon-sur-Indre, sent me specimens of a 

 remarkably large and beautiful species of pear, which had, within a very 

 shoft period of time, been very extensively multiplied in his vicinity, 

 where it was regarded as a new species. It has been named Poire Mon- 

 sieur, by abbreviation of its primitive name '■^Poire de Monsieur he Curi,'''' 

 it having been so called for a curate [cur6] of that vicinity, who had found 

 and propagated the fruit. M. de la Tremblaye has furnished me with a 

 particular account of this fruit, which is as follows ;" 



" The Poire Monsieur was found in the woods, about a league from 

 this place, where the original tree of this species is still standing. On 

 account of its good qualities, it has been multiplied most extensively, and 

 in a very extraordinary manner. It has been grafted throughout our 

 country, on the Wild Pear, in the hedge-s, to a very great extent, some 

 on the Quince and Wild Medlar, and very largely on the Thorn ; {Mes- 

 pilus oxijacantha,) by these last modes the fruit is more suddenly produced. 

 The fruit is pyriform, oblong, and very beautiful. On espaliers, grafted 

 on the Quince, and facing "the south, I have seen them eight or nine 

 inches in length ; of a bright red color next the sun, greenish yellow in 

 the shade ; excellent towards the Carnival, (Christmas,) and in some 

 years they will keep well till Pacque, (11th of April or Easter,) and even 

 longer. I have some young trees whose branches incline downwards, 

 like the Weeping Willow. The tree bears abundant crops and rarely 

 fails; but the fruit varies much in its size in different years." 



"The fruits sent by M. de la Tremblaye," continues M. A-'ilmorin, 

 " were somewhat damaged, and could not therefore be identified with any 

 degree of certainty ; they were nevertheless believed by M. Bosc, to be 



