136 Pomological Notices ; 



Boston market, and has been almost the only pear, in some 

 seasons, to be fomid as late as January, or even February. 

 Yet, notwithstanding this, since the merits of the variety 

 have become better known, there has been a constant in- 

 quiry after this pear. 



Mr. Manning at one period thought of regrafting all 

 his trees of this kind ; but after further trial, its great pro- 

 ductiveness, and other good qualities, induced him to con- 

 tinue its cultivation. The specimens of fruit are remarka- 

 bly variable, and we have eaten them when they would 

 have been pronounced nearly first rate, and we have also 

 tasted them when they were only fit for culinary purposes. 

 This great difference is to be attributed wholly to soil, sit- 

 uation, &c., and also to the proper mode of ripening this, 

 as well as other winter varieties of pears. 



Notwithstanding it is a matter of some doubt as to the pro- 

 priety of substituting the name Vicar of Winkfield for Le 

 Cure, still we have done so for reasons heretofore given ; 

 the most important of which are, that the Catalogue of the 

 Lon. Hort. Soc. is acknowledged as the best authority, and 

 it is certainly advisable to have some standard. The Poire 

 de Cure is the oldest name among fruit cultivators, but it 

 has obtained all the synonyms above enumerated. The 

 original tree was found in the woods at Brenne, in France, 

 by a curate, (cure, from whence its original name,) and 

 from its large size and good qualities was extensively mul- 

 tiplied and disseminated. A full account of its history will 

 be found in our Vol. for 1843, (IX. p. 271.) 



The Vicar of Winkfield is one of the most productive 

 pears in cultivation ; the trees bear every year and are of- 

 ten so overloaded as to break down the limbs. As a dwarf, 

 or en qiienonille^ tree, on the quince, it is a most desirable 

 kind ; the fruit on that stock is often six or eight inches 

 long and is higher colored than when growing on the 

 pear. It will also flourish in a soil unfavorable to many 

 other pears. In regard to quality there is much diflerence 

 of opinion ; but, as we have just stated, this is greatly 

 owing to locality, season, &c. In a description of it in the 

 Gard. Chronicle for 1843, p. 20, Mr. Thompson states that 

 it is "buttery and melting in all seasons, and rich in such 

 as are favorable," The best we have ever tasted, were 

 some specimens we received from Mr. S. Walker, of Rox- 

 bury, last autumn, whose excellent article on the ripening of 



