182 Pomological Notices. 



Fulton, Lewis, Andrews, Gushing, Harvard, and some others, 

 were fully described by him, and the history of their origin 

 communicated to the public through the New England Far" 

 mer ; and the thanks of cultivators are due to him for his 

 continued endeavors to bring them to notice, and make known 

 their merits, at a period when it was supposed the native fruits 

 of our woods and pastures, could by no means compare with 

 foreign varieties, possessing a high somiding title and a repu- 

 tation obtained abroad. 



That the Dix is in reality one of the very finest pears 

 we now possess, is, we believe, admitted by all cultivators. 

 Of the largest size, beautiful in appearance, ripening at a sea- 

 son when there are but few fine pears, a hardy tree, and a 

 good bearer, — all these qualities give it a rank second to no 

 other. It does not come into bearing at an early age, but 

 when the tree has acquired a good size it produces freely. 

 The history of its origin, as communicated by Mr. Downer, 

 is as follows : — It sprung from seed in the garden of Madame 

 Dix in Boston ; contiguous to the house, at the time the ac- 

 count was written, was a large garden, containing many fruit 

 trees, and among the number, a St. Germain, a Bon Chretien, 

 which stood near together, and within a short space of the 

 place where the Dix sprung up from seed, about the year 

 1814 or 1815. In 1829, the tree was twenty-three feet high 

 and ten inches in diameter, four feet from the ground. With 

 the exception of some of the lower limbs, it had never been 

 pruned since it sprung from seed, and the quantity of small 

 limbs rendered it difficult to ascend the tree. It first began 

 to bear in 1825 or '26, and in 1828 produced a full crop 

 of very large and fine fruit. The tree was some years ago 

 cut down or removed, and the place where it stood is now 

 covered with dwellings. 



The general resemblance of the Dix to the St. Germain 

 has led to the supposition, that the latter was one of its pa- 

 rents. The branches are rather slender, often thorny, and of 

 a pale yellowish hue ; the leaves are rather small, finely ser- 

 rated, and of a light, shining green. 



Size^ large, four inches long, and three and a half inches 

 in diameter ; Form, oblong, inclining to pyramidal, regular, 

 largest in the middle, tapering to an obtuse point at the stem : 



