36 Massachusetts Hortkultitral Society. 



it is not named in the index, being an incidental extract in a review. 

 That and many other such things would often be of great vahie in an 

 index. — Yours, Respectfully, J. H. James, Urbana, Ohio, Nov. 1843. 



[With the commencement of a New Series, at the close of this vol- 

 ume, we intend to make several improvements in our magazine, and 

 among other things a more full and systematic index by which every sub- 

 ject can be referred to with the greatest facility. We have more occasion 

 probably than any one else to refer to back volumes, and we have no 

 trouble in finding any particular subject. Yet it is probable that the index 

 is so familiar in its arrangement that we can do so with more facility 

 than others. No one can be at a loss to find any p/ant. All the Miscel- 

 laneous Intelligence can be referred to by the table of contents ; and it is 

 only the small amount of incidental matter in the reviews which cannot 

 be easily ibund, under our present arrangement. A general index we 

 shall, however, introduce into our New Series. — Ed.] 



Art. III. Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Nov. 25th. — Exhibited. Fruit : From the President of the Society, 

 specimens of a seedling pear, sent for exhibition from Messrs. Wilcomb & 

 King, nurserymen. Flushing, L. I. The following letter accompanied the 

 fruit : — 



M. P. Wilder, President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 

 Sir, — We send by Harnden & Co.'s express, a box of pears, and if thee 

 should think proper to present them to the Horticultural Society, we would 

 thank thee to do so. It is a native of Flushing. It produces abundant 

 crops every year ; is in eating over four months, — sav from the 10th to 2d 

 month (from October to February.) It is not inclined to rot or shrivel, as 

 is the case with some of our winter pears. We think it possesses as 

 many good qualities as any late fruit we have seen, but this we leave to 

 the belter judgment of the Horticultural Society. The tree is of fair 

 growth and very full of thorns, and appears to be a cross of [between] the 

 old St. Germain and St. Michael, as it resembles both of them in wood, 

 foliage and fruit ; and there is no other variety in the neighborhood of it. 

 We intended to have sent the fruit to Boston last year, but were disap- 

 pointed. We call it the Lawrence pear. Respectfully, Wilcomb <^- King, 

 Flushing, 11 mo., 20, 1843. 



The committee of fruits, on trial of the specimens, were of opinion that 

 it might ba classed with the very best pears. Our own opinion, from only 

 this trial is, that it appears to be an excellent late variety, but not what 

 would be termed first rate. We have a drawing and description made 

 from one of the best specimens, which we shall present in our pages at a 

 future lime. It is a sweet, tender, melting and juicy fruit, without much 

 flavor, resembling somewhat the Columbia Virgoulouse, which also origi- 

 nated at Flushing, and is figured and described at page 252. In general 

 appearance it approaches the Urbaniste. 



From S. Walker, Vicar of Winkfield, Passe Colmar, and a variety im- 

 ported for the Beurre de Capiaumont pear, but probably not true ; the 

 specimens of the Vicar of Winkfield, better known perhaps as the Monsieur 

 le Cure, were found, on trial, to be very fine, and an excellent dessert 



