212 



HORTICULTURE. 



Fruit 



Autumn 

 pears. 



longueville of Jedburgh, in Roxburghshire, it may be 

 , remarked, seems to be a variety, the fruit possessing the 

 quality of keeping for many weeks : the trees at that 

 place are very old, and evidently the remains of or. 

 chards or gardens belonging to the rich religious esta- 

 blishment which once flourished there. 



The Green Yair, or Green Pear of the Yair, is a small 

 green fruit, sweet and juicy, but with little flavour: 

 the tree is a copious bearer, either as a standard or 

 espalier tree. It is supposed to be of Scottish origin, 

 the Yair being an ancient seat on the Border. 



114. The Brown Bear re, or Red beurre, is a large 

 and long fruit, of a brownish-red colour next the sun, 

 melting and full of sharp rich juice, slightly perfumed ; 

 indeed it is one of the best autumn pears we have ; it 

 must however have every advantage of soil and shelter, 

 and a good aspect on the wall. The fruit varies con- 

 siderably in colour, the difference seeming to depend 

 on accidental circumstances of soil and vigour. 



The Autumn Bergamot often gets the name of Eng- 

 lish Bergamot : it is a smaller fruit than the summer 

 bergamot, but resembles it ; the flesh is melting, and 

 the fruit richly perfumed : the tree is a free grower 

 and great bearer. 



GanseFs Bergamot is of English origin, having been 

 raised from a seed of the autumn bergamot by the late 

 General Gansel at Donneland Hall near Colchester. 

 It is nearly allied to its parent. In good situations, the 

 tree answers excellently as a standard ; and if the fruit 

 be gathered in the middle of October, it is in perfec- 

 tion about the middle of November, and continues a 

 month on the wall : it sometimes attains a large size ; 

 we have seen one produced at Torry in Scotland, which 

 measured in circumference 14 inches, and weighed, 

 when taken from the tree, nearly lib. lOoz. 



The Swiss bergamot is a round fruit with a tough 

 skin, of a greenish colour striped with red ; flesh melt- 

 ing and full of juice, slightly perfumed: the tree a co- 

 pious bearer. 



The Verte longue (long green pear,) or Muscat-Jletiri, 

 is a handsome fruit, of good qualities : in a dry soil and 

 warm situation, the tree produces great crops. 



The Green Sugar pear, or Sucre vert, has a very 

 smooth green skin ; flesh melting, and the juice sugary, 

 with an agreeable flavour : the tree is a free bearer. 



The Great Moutktvater, or Grosse mouille-bouche, is 

 a very good pear ; and the tree answers equally well 

 for the wall or espalier rail. 



The Red Orange pear is middle-sized, of a round 

 shape, greenish colour, and purple next the sun ; the 

 flesh is melting, and the juice sugary, with a slight 

 perfume. 



The Orange Rouge was formerly the most common 

 pear in France, but it is now much less cultivated. 



The Great Russelet, or Gros rousselet, is a large ob- 

 long fruit, of a brownish colour, becoming dark red 

 next the sun ; the flesh tender and agreeably perfu- 

 med. 



The Red Doyennt or Dean-pear is smaller than the 

 common doyenne ; it is usually a little turbinated or 

 top-shaped, sometimes, when the fruit is clustered, al- 

 most globular, crowned with the persistent leaflets of the 

 calyx ; colour yellow ; when ripe, red next the sun ; ripens 

 from the- end of October to the end of November, and 

 continues in perfection a fortnight or three weeks ; the 

 flesh is pale-coloured, melting, and, though not very 

 juicy, agreeably perfumed. The tree is a great bearer 

 even in unfavourable seasons, answering perfectly well 

 either as a standard or espalier. The Dean -pear has 



been long known in this country, but rather neglected, Fruit 

 perhaps on account of Miller's characterizing it ge- Garden, 

 nerally as " a very indifferent fruit." Mr R. A. Salis- A ~"^n^""' 

 bury, however, having recommended the red doyenne p e " t ^ mi 

 in the Memoirs of the Horticultural Society of London, 

 particularly for high and exposed situations, it has 

 risen in estimation. 



The Auchan sometimes receives the epithet of grey 

 or red : it is an excellent pear, said to be of Scottish 

 origin : in Scotland the tree is often placed against 

 an east or a west wall, but it answers better as an 

 espalier or a standard. It probably deserves more of 

 the attention of English gardeners than it has met 

 with. The tree is a free grower and plentiful bearer, 

 even in light soils. The fruit is sweetish, with a pecu- 

 liar and rather agreeable flavour. When the name 

 Auchan alone is used, this is the kind to be understood: 

 What is called the Summer Auchan is a trifling green 

 fruit not worth cultivating ; and the Black or Winter 

 Auchan is a smaller and later variety. 



The Muirfowl egg is another pear of good qualities, 

 said to be originally Scottish. It ripens in September, 

 and keeps for many weeks. It is often placed against 

 walls in Scotland, but the fruit from standards is much 

 higher flavoured, though not of so large a size. 



115. The finer sorts of winter pears are of French 

 origin ; and in this country they require all the aid of mtc * 

 a wall with a good aspect, and very considerable atten- 

 tion after they are taken from the tree, several kinds 

 attaining maturity only in the fruit- room. 



The Chaumontel, or winter beurre, was raised at 

 Chaumontel near Chantilly, where, it is said, the original 

 tree still exists. It is a large rich flavoured melting 

 pear ; the skin a little rough ; often of a pale green 

 colour, but becoming purplish next the sun ; some- 

 times with a good deal of red. The tree may be con- 

 sidered as in general requiring a wall, and a pretty 

 good aspect : in a few places it succeeds on espalier- 

 rails in good seasons. The fruit is left on the tree till 

 the close approach of winter ; it is fit for eating in the 

 end of November and continues till January. The 

 Chaumontel is produced in great perfection in Guernsey 

 and Jersey, and considerable quantities are yearly com- 

 missioned from these islands by the London fruiterers. 



The Colmart, or Manna pear, is large and excellent ; 

 the flesh very tender and melting, and the juice grently 

 sugared ; both in shape and quality, it considerably 

 resembles the autumn or English bergamot : it keeps 

 throughout the winter, and till the end of February. 

 The tree requires a large space of good wall, but de- 

 serves it. 



The Crassane (said to derive its name from crassus 

 thick,) or Bergamot crassane, is a pear of a large size 

 and round shape, with a long stalk ; the skin is roughish, 

 of a greenish-yellow when ripe, with a russety coat- 

 ing ; the flesh is very tender and melting, and full of a 

 rich sugary juice. It is fit for use from the middle to 

 the end of November, and is one of the very best pears 

 of the season. The tree requires a good wall. 



The St Germain is a large long pear, of a yellowish 

 colour when ripe ; flesh melting and very full of juice, 

 with considerable flavour. If the tree be planted on a 

 dry soil, in a warm situation, and trained against a 

 good wall, it bears pretty freely : There are two varie- 

 ties, a spurious, and the true ; and it is believed the 

 former is by much the more generally disseminated. 

 The spurious fruit ripens in December, remaining green 

 when ripe, and generally decays by the end of January ; 

 unless the soil and season be favourable, it is insipid 



