Pomological Gossip. 497 



attention until within six or eight ^'•ears. The tree now 

 forms a fine head ; and in full fruit, as it was this year, pre- 

 sents a splendid appearance. 



It grow^ similar to the Baldwin, resembles it some\vhat in 

 appearance, and has the same pleasant admixture of sweet 

 and acid, which gives the former so high a character. The 

 fruit is very fair and handsome, and the tree bears every 

 year. 



Size, large, about three and a half inches broad, and two 

 and three quarters inches deep : Form, roundish oblate, 

 swollen on one side, somewhat uneven in its outline, being 

 slightly ribbed, and narrowing little to the crown, which is 

 oblique : Skin, fair, smooth, of an oily touch, with a green- 

 ish ground, nearly covered with dark dull crimson, little rus- 

 seted around the stem, and the surface interspersed with a few 

 scattered yellow specks : Stem, medium length, about three 

 quarters of an inch long, slender, and deeply sunk in a large 

 rather open cavity : Eye, small, closed, and moderately sunk 

 in a very broad, and little furrowed basin ; segments of the 

 calyx short : Flesh, greenish white, fine, crisp and tender : 

 Juice, tolerably abundant, with a pleasant admixture of 

 sweet and acid, high flavored and excellent : Core, medium 

 size, nearly closed : Seeds, medium size, mostly abortive. 

 Ripe in October and November. 



Art. VL Pomological Gossip. 



Mr. Thompson's Notes on several Varieties of Pears, 

 INCLUDING five OF Mr. Knight's Seedlings. In the spring 

 of 1849 cuttings of the follov^nng varieties of pears were dis- 

 tributed among the members of the London Horticultural 

 Society, and an account of them supplied by Mr. Thomp- 

 son. As Mr. Knight's varieties are yet but little known 

 among our cultivators, they will be pleased to learn that they 

 are so highly esteemed by so good a pomologist as Mr. 

 Thompson : 



vol. XVI. — no. XI. 63 



