Descriptions of Six varieties of Native Pears. 297 



The first notice of it we can find, is in the N. E. Farmer., 

 for 1830, as referred to above, where an account of it is 

 given, in a letter dated November, 182S, from Gen. Forman, 

 of Maryland, to the late Wm. Prince, of Flushing, L. L, 

 under the name of the Robertson pear. This letter reads 

 as follows : — " The Robertson pear, which I send, is highly 

 esteemed and universally admired. It was discovered in a 

 thorn hedge at Naaman's Creek. Deleware, by General 

 Robertson, the owner of the land, a gentleman who was 

 very attentive to fruit. You may call it the Naaman's 

 Creek or Robertson pear, as you please. It is a healthy 

 tree and certain bearer, and comes in about ten days after 

 the Doyenne or butter pear." 



Another and later account has been given of this variety 

 in Hofty's Orchardist' s Companion., where it is stated in a 

 letter from Dr. J. W. Thompson, of Wilmington, dated 

 August, 1841, " that this delightful pear was discovered and 

 brought to notice by the late General Thomas Robinson, 

 of Naaman's Creek. New Castle Co., Deleware. On mov- 

 ing a fence on his farm, about forty years ago, he found a 

 young pear tree nearly grown, — in a short time it produced 

 fruit, precisely similar to the specimens I now send you, 

 for these pears are from the same original tree, which is 

 now alive and vigorous and bears every year." The same 

 writer also states, that " it was called by General Robinson 

 the Washington pear, in honor of his valued friend and 

 revolutionary commander." The variety described as the 

 Robertson and the Robinson is undoubtedly the same, and 

 the error probably arose from a mistake of General For- 

 man. It is now, however, well known as the Washington 

 pear. 



Size, medium, three inches long and two inches in diam- 

 eter : Form, oblong, largest about one-third from the eye, 

 contracted in the middle, ending very obtusely at the stem: 

 Skin, very fair, smooth, beautiful lemon yellow when ma- 

 ture, broad and faintly tinged with red on the sunny side, 

 thickly and regularly covered with reddish russet points, 

 paler and smaller on the shaded side, and around the stem 

 a few touches of clear russet : Stem, medium length, about 

 one and a quarter inches, pale brown, slightly wrinkled, 

 and inserted on one side of a slight projection in a very 

 shallow cavity : Eye, small, closed, moderately sunk in a 

 somewhat furrowed depression ; segments of tlie calyx 



VOL. X. NO. VIII. 38 



