Descriptions of Six varieties of Pears. 179 



grows upright, vigorous, and of handsome form, bearing full 

 crops every season ; the fruit most excellent and rich. This 

 variety was first introduced and disseminated by S. G. Per- 

 kins, Esq., who received it from France. It is of Belgian 

 origin, and was raised by M. Dorlain. 



Size, medium, two and a half inches long, and two inches 

 in diameter : Form, pyramidal, largest at the crown, regu- 

 larly tapering to the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, pale yellow 

 when mature, tinged with bright red on the sunny side, the 

 whole surface covered with russetty specks, darkest and thick- 

 est where exposed : Stem, long, about one and a half inches, 

 slender, smooth, curved, pale brown, fleshy and wrinkled at 

 its junction with the fruit, and forced into an oblique direc- 

 tion by a slight protuberance : Eye, small, open, deeply sunk 

 in a round cavity ; segments of the calyx long and pointed. 

 Flesh, yellowish white, fine, buttery, melting and juicy : 

 Flavor, rich, sprightly and refreshing, with a delicious per- 

 fume : Core, small : Seeds, medium size, nearly round, light 

 brown. Ripe in September and October. 



36. DucHEssE d'Angouleme. Hort. Soc. Cat. 3d Edition. 



Few varieties of pears have attracted more attention than 

 the Duchesse d'Angouleme, {fg. 15.) Its immense size, its 

 great beauty, and its high flavor — all the good qualities of a 

 pear combined — have given it a high rank among the nu- 

 merous varieties which have been recently brought into 

 notice. 



Dr. Van Mons commenced his labor of raising seedling fruits 

 as early as the present century, and continued his experiments 

 up to the time of his death, a period of more than forty 

 years, during which time, by incessant care, he produced no 

 less than eighty thousand seedlings ; and, from this number, 

 from fifty to a hundred which he considered well worthy of 

 cultivation; yet, notwithstanding all his exertions, perhaps 

 no one variety which he produced, taken as a whole, excels 

 the Duchesse d'Angouleme, which was discovered growing 

 wild in a hedge, at Anvers, near Paris. So much authority 

 has been attached to the name of Van Mons, that it has been 

 thought great presumption to doubt the correctness of his 



