72 Pomological Gossip. 



of its superior size, flavor and beauty, and its greater value 

 in the market. 



The Hanners Pear. — In our volume for 1846, (XII. p. 

 150,) our correspondent, Mr. Manning, gave a list of syno- 

 nyms of pears, which he had detected in the Pomological 

 Garden, and among the number was the Hanners, which he 

 stated was nothing more than the Gushing, one of our old- 

 est native varieties. In a note to his communication, we 

 stated that " this must have been an error, as the true Han- 

 ners was a different fruit from the Gushing." Knowing the 

 accuracy of Mr. Manning, however, on all questions concern- 

 ing the synonyms of fruits, we intended to refer to the sub- 

 ject again, after we had examined both his trees and our 

 own, but from various causes we have not done so ; and 

 therefore seize the opportunity to confirm the truth of Mr. 

 Manning's observations. 



Some years ago, when making up our collection of pear 

 trees, we procured all the American varieties we could find 

 in our Nurseries, and among the number was the Gushing, 

 which we had from Messrs. Downing, of Newburgh. This 

 was in 1842. The tree was placed with others in our 

 specimen collection, and grew away rapidly, but did not come 

 into bearing till 1847, a year after Mr. Manning's communi- 

 cation was written. We had previously described and 

 figured the Gushing, (Vol. IX. p. 371,) and the Hanners, 

 (XIII. p. 490,) and in our account of the latter variety, we 

 alluded to the opinions of some of our Pomological friends in 

 Salem, who had even then intimated the identity of the two 

 pears. We admitted that the Hanners did greatly resemble 

 the Gushing, " having the same melting flesh and yellow 

 skin." But what set all doubts at rest, we remarked, was the 

 diff'erence in the " color of the wood, and form of the leaf;" 

 for while the shoots of the Hanners were " upright and of a 

 dull yellow, those of the Gushing were partially spreading, and 

 of a dull red ; that the leaves of the Gushing were consider- 

 ably serrated, while those of the Hanners were nearly entire." 



In making out this diff'erence of the Gushing from the 

 Hanners, we based our information upon the character of our 



