No. lOp.] £13 



in determining the value of a fruit for this purpose, saleablcnessj as 

 well as color, flavor, hardiness, &,c., must be estimated in the aggre- 

 gate of its qualities; and if it proved to combine a majority of such 

 qualities, then it rhculd be considered as worthy of culti\'ation. 



Mr. French said his only fear now was, that this pear would not 

 get into the list. If he could have but one apple, it should be the 

 Rhode Island Greening, though that variety was neither so handsome 

 nor of so good flavor as many others. And so of the Buffum pear ; 

 it had its superiors, but it w-as well worthy of cultivation, and it was 

 a variety which no fruit grower should be without. 



Mr. Manning observed that even in regard to flavor, the Buffum 

 pear was sometimes found to be nearly first-rate. Very much de- 

 pended upon its ripening, as to this. But flavor was not the only 

 thing to be considered. Productiveness was another, and not an in- 

 ferior one in many cases. Gansel's Bergamotte was not to be pre- 

 ferred to the Buffum if only a limited number of trees could be cul- 

 tivated ; for in the one case you would have perhaps half a bushel of 

 very delicious fruit from each tree, and in the other two barrels of 

 fruit, nearly as perfect if properly ripened. He should have no hesi- 

 tation which to choose in such a slate of things. 



Mr. Walker was under the impression, long ago that the Buffum 

 could not be near so good a f;uit as he had found it to be within 

 the last five or six years. When ripened under a temperature of 65° 

 or 70°, constant day and night, it attained a very high degree of ex- 

 cellence. Some of the very best judges, not knowning the perfection 

 to which it had latterly been brought, on tasting it at Salem, declar- 

 ed they could not tell what the pear was unless it was an excellent 

 St. Michael. The fruit was very much improved by early picking, 

 and ripening in the house. 



The Buffum pear was adopted. 



Vicar cf Winkfield Pear. — Mr. Potey proposed to amend by 

 adding " or Le Cure^^ to avoid the danger to cultivators of importing 

 under one name a variety which they already possessed under an- 

 other. 



Mr. Downing said that next to settling the quality of fruits, to 

 settle their nomenclature was of importance, and for that reason the 

 committee had not felt obliged to report all the names by which a 



