called the Cross Pear. 13? 



inquired of Mr. Manning his opinion of this variety, and he 

 remarked, without hesitation, that it was a most excellent 

 fruit. 



Desirous of obtaining some account of the origin and his- 

 tory of the original tree, more particularly with a view to 

 ascertain its native production, we wrote to E. S. Rand, 

 Esq., of Newbury port, in whose garden the tree stands from 

 which the pears we received were gathered, upon the subject, 

 with a request that he would inform us respecting its Ameri- 

 can origin, &c. To his kindness in promptly and fully an- 

 swering our queries, our readers are indebted for the following 

 account of this variety. 



Some years ago, a friend of Mr. Rand's presented him, in 

 the autumn, with a pear, which, he said, grew on a tree in 

 the garden of a Mr. Cross, in Newbury port. Its history, he 

 informed Mr. Rand, was this: — Mr. Cross, purchasing a 

 piece of land adjoining his estate, found on it a natural pear 

 tree, as he supposed: presuming the fruit to be worthless, he 

 cut off all the brandies but one, for the purpose of changing 

 the fruit and removing the tree into his garden: the branch 

 left produced what is now called the Cross pear. 



INIr. Rand procured a scion, the spring following, and he 

 has now a tree, which produced, the last season, about a bush- 

 el of pears. It has borne abundantly and constantly, and the 

 fruit is now larger and fairer than when it first commenced 

 bearing. Mr. Rand has had them, some years, in eating in 

 February, but generally, they are in perfection in December, 

 and sometimes earlier, as was the case last season. The 

 skin, when taken from the tree the latter part of October, is 

 green, and when fully ripe, of a light yellow. As near as 

 Mr. Rand can recollect, (not having kept any record,) his 

 tree, he thinks, is thirteen to fifteen years old, and has been 

 in bearing eight or ten years. 



To this account we add the annexed drawing, {fig. 8,) and 

 description of the fruit. 



Cross Pear. — Fruit., medium size, roundish, two and a 

 half inches in length, and two and a quarter inches in diam- 

 eter. Stalk., three quarters of an inch long, and very thick, 

 inserted in a slight cavity. Eye, small, and considerably de- 

 pressed. Skin., smooth, deep yellow, red on the sunny side, 

 very russety around the eye, and covered all over with rus- 

 sety dots, and sprinkled with small black spots. Flesh, 

 melting, juicy, and sweet, with a perfumed and agreeable fla- 



