new and superior varieties of Fruits. 285 



to receive alive. The rapidity with which information is now 

 transmitted, will also tend to bring to our notice accounts of 

 new fruits and plants much more speedily than heretofore. 



Pears. — Van Mans Leon le Clerc pear. — This fine new 

 variety, already described and particularly noticed in our last 

 volume, (VI., p. 47,) is again mentioned in order to make 

 some remarks relative to the character and identity of the fruit. 



It has been doubted by many of the English nurserymen, 

 that the pear was a new and improved variety: the plants 

 were only to be procured of M. Rene Langlier, of the Island 

 of Jersey, and many believed it to be the old Leon le Clerc, 

 already in the catalogues. Notwithstanding the remarks which 

 appeared in the Gardcner''s Gazette, together with extracts 

 of letters from M. le Clerc, some of the more sceptical con- 

 tinued to doubt its genuineness. On this account, M. le 

 Clerc addressed a letter to the conductor of the Gardener''s 

 Magazine, in which he fully explains and justifies the reason 

 for naming this pear Van Mons Leon le Clerc. 



M. le Clerc states, that having raised a new pear, he pre- 

 sented some specimens of the finest to Dr. Van Mons, in 

 order that he might give his opinion of its merit. These 

 he pronounced of the "very first rank," and from their ex- 

 cellence, was willing to accept of the dedication of the pear 

 to him. But M. le Clerc, being under the necessity of dis- 

 tinguishing the new fruit from several others which bore the 

 name of Van Mons, it was the desire of the venerable pomol- 

 ogist that the name of M. le Clerc should be placed after 

 his, to serve as a distinctive character; it was in consequence 

 of this that the pear was thus named. 



With this letter, M. le Clerc transmitted Mr. Loudon some 

 specimens of the fruit, from the original tree. The conduct- 

 or remarks that they were the best pears he ever tasted; they 

 were perfectly ripe on the 15th of October, as large as the 

 largest Duchess d'Angouleme, and shaped a good deal like 

 that fruit, with a flavor remarkably rich, partaking of the pine- 

 apple, and of a sugary richness. Mr. Thompson, of the 

 London Horticultural Society's Garden, will prepare a more 

 perfect description of it. In the mean time, the conductor 

 states, that no possessor of a garden will lose any time in 

 securing what really appears to be, "the best pear in exist- 

 ence." 



This variety was sent home by Mr. Kenrick, last winter, 



