420 THE PEAR. 



and uniformly good flavour in all seasons — these are t\e crite- 

 rions of the first class of pears.* 



Most of the finer varieties of pears have not the necessary 

 hardihood to enable them to resist, perfectly uninjured, the 

 violent atmospheric changes of our climate, except under favour- 

 able circumstances, consequently the fruit is more or less vari- 

 able in quality ; and this is more particularly true of some that 

 come to us from abroad Avith promise of the highest excellence, 

 and to pronounce an abiding judgment upon their merits re- 

 quires many years' experience, and careful observation under 

 ditferent circumstances, and in various localities. And it must 

 be borne in mind, that although young trees give fruit of nearly 

 or quite full size and beauty, yet perfection of flavour is only to 

 be expected from trees of more mature age. The inference is 

 not legitimate that a variety which exhibits great excellence 

 in Belgium, or some of the districts of France, will exhibit gene- 

 rally in all localities in the United States the same excellence ; 

 but the supposition is fair, and borne out by some experience, 

 that those which possess excellence of a particular character in 

 an eminent degree in Europe, will generally exhibit the same 

 in particular localities in this country. We would instance such 

 vigorous growers, with pretty solid flesh, as the following : Belle 

 Lucrative, Rostiezer, Duchess d'Angoulume, Beurre Hardy, &c. 

 To produce satisfactory results in the cultivation of pears, some 

 of its wants must always be complied with, such as good depth 

 of soil, sufficient drainage, and proper enrichment. 



In describing pears, we shall, as usual, designate the size by 

 comparison, as follows : Large^ as the Beurre Diel or Bartlett; 

 medium^ as the Doyenne or Virgalieu ; small^ as the Seckel. 

 With regard to form, 1st. Pyriform^ (blaze form,) by which 

 some recurvation of the perpendicular lines bounding the sides 

 is intended, as Andrews, and the form is further divided into acute^ 

 as Beurre Bose ; obtuse^ as Beurre Diel ; elongated^ as Dix and 

 Louise Bonne de Jersey ; and depressed pyriform, as Winter 

 Nelis. 2d. Obovate, or egg-shaped, as W^ashington ; turbinate^ 

 as Bloodgood ; obconic^ (a form related to the two latter,) but 

 with a broader base, as Buflfum, or Truncate obconic, as Easter 

 Beurre or White Doyenne. 3d. Oblate^ as Fulton, and Bergamot- 



* The most successful cultivator of pears in this country, whose collec- 

 tion comprises hundreds of varieties, lately assured us, that if he were 

 asked to name all the sorts that he considered of unvarying and unques- 

 tionable excellertce in all respects, he could not count more than 20 1 It 

 may then be asked, why do all cultivate so large a variety. We answer, 

 because the quality of many is yet not fully decided ; agair., there is a 

 great difference in taste, as to the merits of a given sort ; there are also 

 some sorts so productive, or handsome, &c., that they are highly esteemed, 

 though only second rate. In a work like the present, we are also x)bliged 

 to describe many sorts of second quality, in order to assist in identifying 

 them, as they are already in general cultivation. 



