Descinptions of Select Varieties of Pears. 453 



a slow grower, and tardy in coming into bearing, which ac- 

 counts somewhat for its absence from general collections. 

 In this respect it is like the Dix ; but when it begins to bear 

 it well repays the delay by its abundant crops — the old parent 

 tree, which is more than 100 years old, is believed to have 

 borne more than 600 bushels of pears. In some years it has 

 produced ten to twelve bushels. 



The Petre pear was raised by the elder John Bartram, 

 proprietor of Bartram's Botanic Garden near Philadelphia, 

 from a single seed sent in a letter from Lord Petre, of Lon- 

 don, in 1735. It was planted near one end of the dwelling- 

 house, at the edge of a gravel walk, where it never received 

 any manure or rich earth. It began to bear when about 

 twenty years old, and in twenty-five years after the seed was 

 sown, ripe fruit was returned to Lord Petre, who pronounced 

 it better than that from the original tree. 



From the habit of the tree, the form of the fruit, &c., we 

 should think the seed might have been from the St. Germain. 

 It more resembles the Dix than any other pear. 



The tree is a slow grower, with a slender habit while 

 young, but making a large tree. Wood, yellowish brown. 



Size, large, about three inches long, and two and a half in 

 diameter : Form, oblong, or obovate, largest about the mid- 

 dle, rounding off to the eye, and rather obtuse at the stem : 

 Skin, fair, yellowish green, very slightly tinged with blush, 

 intermingled with spots of green, and thickly covered with 

 large russet specks, with some tracings of russet around the 

 crown : Stem, short, about half an inch long, straight, stout, 

 and inserted in a small, shallow, contracted cavity : Eye^ 

 small, open, and little sunk in a small regularly formed basin ; 

 segments of the calyx, short, reflexed : Flesh, yellowish 

 white, coarse, melting and very juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary 

 and sprightly, with a high musky perfume : Core, large, 

 slightly gritty : Seeds, small, very dark. Ripe in October, 

 and keeps well. 



159. KiNGSESsiNG. Horticulturist, Vol. II. 



The Kingsessing (fg. 32) is another Pennsylvania pear. 



