442 Cultivation of the Pear Tree 



have before me and not selected ; the others would probably 

 average nearly half a pound. The BonChretiens d'hiver I 

 have not weighed, but nearly as large; Virgouleuse, (true 

 French,) Crassane and Epargne, about the same sizes ; Epine 

 d'Ete, Muscat Robert, Rousselet de Rheims, Grosse Mar- 

 quise, Martin Sec, Imperial, and a few others that I did not 

 have the names of. The St. Germains, Virgouleuse, Winter 

 BonChretien, and Bergamotte, have been pronounced very 

 fine pears, and I would willingly compound never to eat 

 better fruit on condition of never having worse. The 

 Epargne was mealy and tasteless, probably in consequence of 

 having been allowed to ripen on the tree. The Summer 

 Thorn was musky, but not particularly sweet. The Muscat 

 Uobert was much better, but of the others, except the Cras- 

 sane, which was not very sweet but a little astringent, I could 

 form no decided opinion, as they did not come to perfection. 

 Of the Messire Jean, I had a number upon the trees, but they 

 were all cracked^ and I did not have one that was either ripe 

 or good ; probably the soil was too clayey for them. The 

 Summer Thorn, Muscat Robert, and Epargne, were ripe just 

 as peaches were going out of season, the beginning of Au- 

 gust. The BonChretien, St. Germain, Bergamotte de Sou- 

 lers, and Virgouleuse, are all picked and full ripe now, but 

 this has been an early season for fruits. 



I hope next summer to have about thirty or more varieties 

 in bearing, when I can again inform you of their qualities, 

 &c., better. I have imported also apple trees which bear 

 very fine fruit, but I cannot give any very exact account of 

 them, as I visit my garden and plantation but once a week, 

 and then have a plenty to attend to. I have not had one 

 mealy or insipid one. The trees thus far are very healthy. 



I find my trees much more clean, healthy looking and vig- 

 orous, than pear trees growing in this place, where the soil is 

 high, dry and sandy. I forgot to mention above that my 

 trees are well manured every autumn with stable or cow-pen 

 compost, spread on the surface, and allowed to remain there, 

 and the land is well manured and cultivated in vegetables. 

 I weighed one pomegranate, (not as large apparently as some 

 I gathered later), and it weighed two pounds five ounces ; 

 and I think I have some that will weigh more when gathered. 



