New Varieties of Pears. 337 



Such is M. Langelier's account, and we doubt not it will 

 prove excellent. The trees are among the handsomest in our 

 collection ; having very large, almost round, leaves, of a deep, 

 shining green, somewhat resembling the Napoleon, but with 

 dark, reddish brown wood, with large, whitish grey spots. It 

 is a very free grower, either upon the pear or quince ; young 

 trees have attained the height of five feet, and well branched 

 upon the latter stock, the present season. Our original trees 

 cost one guinea each. 



Jersey Gratioli. — This is the name of a new pear, recently 

 brought into notice, and as yet but very little disseminated. It 

 is supposed to have originated in Jersey, where, in 1843, only 

 one tree was known to be in existence. In the autumn of 

 1844, Mr. Thompson received several specimens of the fruit 

 from Mr. Bucknall, of Jersey, and from these he gave a de- 

 scription and figure of the variety, in the Gardener's Chroni- 

 cle.^ for 1844, p. 868. and from this account we gather the fol- 

 lowing information in respect to this pear : — 



Half a dozen pears were forwarded to Mr. Thompson, Oc- 

 tober 12th, by Mr. Bucknall. As a pear cultivator, he does not 

 hesitate to pronounce it, according to his taste, the finest pear, 

 in flavor, and all its qualities, he ever met with. The fruits 

 he selected were of average size, from a fine old standard of 

 40 or 50 years, and a free and constant bearer. " Fully 

 agreeing with these remarks," says Mr. Thompson, "it is pre- 

 sumed the notice here given will prove acceptable, although 

 the origin of the variety cannot be satisfactorily traced ; nei- 

 ther can the application of the name Gratioli be accounted 

 for, as this name has been, for centuries, the acknowledged 

 synonym of the summer Bon Chretien, a very different fruit 

 from the one in question. The Gratioli, or Gracioli, being 

 held synonymous, as above, by Duhamel, Dr. Diel, and many 

 other French and German authors, was sufficient cause for 

 demurring, in naming the fruit, in 1843, when specimens were 

 first forwarded by Mr. Bucknall : and, more especially, as the 

 name of Gratioli had only been heard indistinctly, and casu- 

 ally applied to the present variety. But according to Mr. 

 Langelier, who is acquainted with this fact, it is cultivated in 

 Jersey, under the name of Gratioli. This being the case, it 

 has been considered proper to designate it as the Jersey Gra- 



VOL. XII NO. IX. 43 



