714 THANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE 



dred, and about the same time seven hundred was catalogued hy the London 

 Horticultural society. From these facts it may be assumed that my estimate 

 of a thousand A^arieties is not far from being correct. And for each of this 

 thousand, some character is claimed, and unquestionably, more of reputation 

 for a good character than justly belongs to it. The question is a pertinent 

 one if not embarrassing, how many and which are deserving of so much regard 

 as to be worthily entitled to a place in the selection of twenty or thirty of the 

 best varieties. 



Mr. Downing in his excellent work on fruit, unquestionably one of the best, 

 and entitled to the confidence of horticulturists, undertook the task and 

 arranged his best pears, in what he termed his first class. In the execution 

 of this he subjected himself and his book to severe criticism, and called forth 

 a greater number of dissenting opinions than any other subject treated in his 

 entire volume. Indeed we may venture the remark, no one has been found to 

 subscribe to that grouping, without making some exception or mental reserva- 

 tion. If this is so, it would assuredly not be becoming in me to attempt such 

 a task with the expectation of giving any better satisfaction than my superior 

 has done. If I should venture the remark that double that number of good 

 pears cannot be named that are worth growing, I am well aware some jealous 

 cultivator will thinfc me unnecessarily severe. If I qualify the remark by 

 adding that, though many not included in that list might be pronounced good 

 pears, and in the absence of better would be worthy a place in such a list, but 

 that being so much inferior to others that ripen at the same time and possess 

 all the characteristic excellencies, with others added, that these do not, that I 

 would not grow them, I lake the edge ofi" the insult to the feelings, but still 

 give offence. Some culturists have reduced the number of good pears to a 

 dozen, and said these were sufl[icient for any collection for profit or family use. 

 Here we are met wilh the remark, if the number of good pears is after all so 

 small, what becomes of the great number of good varieties commended to us 

 by veteran collectors from abroad, more especially of that host of new peais 

 from Belgium and France, that on their introduction attract and captivate tho 

 American culturist ? The answer to .this we have already attempted to give by 

 showing deterioration the result of climatic influences peculiar to our country, 

 as well as in that other recognized fact, that should be universally accepted, 

 that most fruits flourish best in the climate and locality in which they origi- 

 nate, not even excepting tlie pear. This is alike true of the apple, the pear, 

 the plum, the strawberry and others we could name. Who does not know that 

 though the Newtown Pippin is a Pippin away from its native place, it is there 

 the best. Though the Baldwin is good in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, it 

 is best in Massachusetts. The Spitzenberg is known away from New York; 

 it is the Spitzenberg par excellence only when found in sight of the Hudson. 

 The Hovey strawberry is thought as little of in Cincinnati, as Hovey himself 

 thinks of the Wilson's Albany. Some of us too are learning at our cost what 

 others will be taught one of these days, that the Triomphe de Gand, in the 

 hands of the prince of strawberry growers will not be a princely strawberry at 

 all on the Atlantic slope. So too with our favorite pear the White Doyenne ;» 

 it has its climatic range, out of it, it falls a prey to its enemies and becomes 

 the subject of disease to such an extent as to be a discarded variety. The 



