HORTICULTURE. 



and watery ; it is shorter, aujJ its form is subject to more 

 variations than that of the trae variety. The trut- St 

 Germain keeps in perfection till the end of March, and, 

 for svrertness and flavour, ranks among the very best 

 of the winter pears. 1 1 is beautifully figured by Hooker, 

 in the Pomona Londinemtii, Plate 5. 



The r'.-katsery is a thick oval fruit, shaped like a ci- 

 tron ; skin smooth, and yellow when ripe : flesh melt- 

 ing, juice sugared, with a delicate perfume. In season 

 in December and January. The tree requires a good 

 wall ; the fruit is produced in clusters. 



The Bonthrttien, at winter bonchretien, requires 

 even in France all the advantages of a south wall and 

 well prepared border. But although Quintinye and 

 Duhamel mention this as the very best late winter- 

 V we would be inclined to consider it as greatly in- 

 to those already named, judging either from the 

 imported into this country, or from those 

 produced in our gardens. With us it attains a large size, 

 oat seldom acquires sufficient maturity to bring forth 

 the characters for which the French authors praise it. 

 The French graft the tree on a quince-stock ; but 

 Miller gives it as his opinion, that if it were placed on 

 a free stuck, and the branches trained at full length on 

 good wall, the fruit might be much improved in this 

 country. It is to be observed that, even in France, 

 the tree is late of coming into bearing state, but that 

 it becomes more fruitful as it advances in age. De- 

 launay Mention* that the French use the unripe fruit, 

 in soaps, in place at turnip* ; and it most be ronfeaaeJ, 

 Mt those generally produced in this country seein 

 fitter for that purpose than for appearing in 



The rirpxilrute. or ice- pear, U a large and long fruit, 

 of a green colour, inclining to yellow as it ripen* ; flesh 

 , and full of rich juice ; for eating in December, 

 itinues till February. The tree is often ac- 

 I a bad bearer ; but it ha* been justly remarked 

 by Miller, that this may frequently arise from garden- 

 er* not attending to it* nature : it produce* vigorous 

 shoots, and the bloseom come* principally at the rods of 

 these shoot* ; if therefore the tree be pruned in the 

 ordinary way, much of the blossom must be cut *way ; 

 if however, it be allowed ample apace, and the branche* 

 be laid in at full length, the tree produce* (air crop*. 

 In favourable ait nan, k aacceetls on espalier- rails, 

 but it m eammmmtf tfafaed agamaet a wall. 



Brrgnmul m a good pear, of a green- 

 tie flesh tender, and high flavour- 

 oath* tree till the approach of 



ih-yellow colour ; 

 ed : it must reman 

 frost : it keep* till May. 



The Eatttr Dergamct, Haatli de Pique*, or win. 

 ter bergamot, U a large roundiah fruit, of a greyish- 

 green colour with a little red ; the flesh between break, 

 ing and melting. In this country, the tree mart stand 

 on a free stock, and have a good wall, and well prepa- 

 red border. The fruit if fit Cor the Uble in February, 

 and keep* till April. 



The Dry martin (martin-sec), or winter ruatelet, i* 

 an oblong pear, msaety on one side, inclining to red 

 on the other ; flesh breaking, juice sugary, with a lit. 

 tie perfume; ready in November, and keep* about 

 three months. The tree i* generally placed on a free 

 Mock ; but it succeed, either again it a wall or rail, 

 andb,.ar M ,r.ttytY.ly. 



The Ismue-bonite resemble* the St Germain, and i* 

 pretty good when produced against a wall, and from a 

 dry soil ; in season in December. The tree generally 

 bean well. 



The Marquise, or marchioness's pear, is a long pyra- Fruit 

 mi.lal fruit, of a greenish-yellow colour, with a little ^ art ' e ^. 

 brown; the flesh is melting, and the juice rich and W inur 

 sweet. In season in November and December. In p^,. 

 this country the tree requires a good wall and favoura- 

 ble aspect. 



The Ambreite is an oval middle-sized fruit, melting 

 and sugary ; when produced from a dry soil and against 

 a south wall, the fruit acquires a flavour resembling the 

 scent of the sweet-sultan or ambrette of the French. 



The Poire <fAuck is described by Forsvth as resem- 

 bling the colmart, but fuller towards he stalk, and 

 " without exception the best of all the winter pears." 

 The Siran-eeg is a very good bite pear, for use in 

 .ember anil" December. It is egg-shaped, of a 

 green colour, thinly spotted with brown ; flesh melt- 

 ing, and abounding with a pleasant juice. On stand- 

 ards or espaliers the fruit acquires a higher flavour 

 than on wall-trees ; indeed it is only trained against a 

 wall in high and bleak situations. 



116. With the exception of five, all the pears which 

 have now been enumerated and described are of French 

 origin. Of these five, two are considered as of Eng- 

 lish origin, the Gansel's bergamot and the Swan-c^ 

 and three of Scottish origin, the Muirfowl-egg, Green 

 Yair, and Auclian. Some other Scottish pears, which 

 occur chiefly in country gardens, but are of good qua- 

 lity, may just be named. Such are Pear-Jamet, the 

 Early Comtek, Late Carnock or Drummond, dWi/cn 

 Knap, Crawford or Lammat, the Grey Goodtsifr, and 

 the Jolm Momteith. 



Among English pear* little known or attended to, 

 may lie mentioned the Elton pear, figured in the Lon- 

 don Horticultural Transactions, voL ii. It rinenn, on 

 standard*, for which it is best suited, from Uie mid- 

 die to the end of September ; but it must be ga- 

 thered ten days before being ripe, else it is apt to 

 get mealy. When in perfection, it is detcribed a* uni- 

 ting much of the fine flavour of the bergamots with tin- 

 melting softness of the bcurres. The fruit is without 

 seeds, and indeed almost without internal cavity. The 

 original tree stands on its own roots in an orchard of 

 seedling pear* at Elton in Herefordshire. It is about 

 a hundred and fifty year* old, but still healthy. 



The .ttlom-torem pear U regarded as a native of Che- 

 shire, and said to have received its name from Aston- 

 town in that county. The branches of the tree have a 

 peculiar tendency to twist round in growing upwards. 

 The young shoot* are pendent, and the blossoms are 

 produced chiefly at the extremities. The leave* are 

 small and oval. The fruit somewhat resembles the 

 swan-egg pear ; is of a greenish colour, spotted with 

 ruaset ; when ripe, the flesh is melting, and high fla- 

 voured. It i* in perfection early in October, but does 

 not keep. The fruit seems to be improved when the 

 tree is trained to a wall ; but in order to have I'm it in 

 this way, the shoots should In- trained downwards ac- 

 cording to their natural inclination. 



117. Of new pears of any kind, our list is very scan- New Peart. 

 ty. The tt'ormtley bergamot has of late years been rai- 

 sed by Mr Knight, from the blossom of the autumn 

 benramot, stripped of its stamina, and dusted with the 

 pollen of the St Germain. It is a good melting pear, 

 ami tlie tree grows freely in any common toil where 

 other pear-trees thrive ; the blossom appears to possess 

 the advantage of being very hardy ; the fruit remain* 

 on the tree till the end of October, and is in perfection 

 about three week* afterwards. At this time, we have 

 scarcely any winter keeping pear* efficiently hardy to 



