On the Beurre Spence and other Pears. 145 



confine my collection to sorts preferred. Upon my after- 

 wards putting this question to M. Von Mans, professor of 

 chemistry, agriculture, and rural ceconomy, at the Univer- 

 sity of Louvain, who had raised 80,000 new pears, he very 

 laconically replied, " Monsieur Braddick, that depends on 

 taste;" offering me at the same time, with a grace peculiar 

 to our continental neighbours, a pinch of snuff out of an 

 elegant box, which he said was presented to him by the king 

 of Wurtemberg, for a new pear which he had raised, and 

 named la Roi de Wurtemberg, on account of that king's 

 liking it. I then asked him, if his own taste was called upon 

 to decide the question, to which of all his new pears he 

 would give the preference ; he immediately replied, with much 

 vivacity, " The Beurre Spence," and added, " this fruit, to 

 my taste, is inestimable, and has no competitor." 



I obtained from the learned professor a letter addressed to 

 his gardener ; he at the same time gave me leave to take 

 buds out of his garden, which was fourteen miles from 

 Louvain ; upon my presenting M. V. M.'s letter to his gar- 

 dener, a Walloon, I found great difficulty in making him un- 

 derstand me ; he, however, readily gave me buds ; but, as it 

 appeared two years after, upon my fruiting those buds in 

 England, the pear which he named Beurre Spence turned 

 out to be the Gros Dillan, another new pear, very fine, and 

 very large, fit for an espalier. Upon discovering that I had 

 not yet got possession of the Beurre Spence, I went to 

 Louvain again, and at length succeeded in establishing that 

 pear in England. As soon as I fruited it, I sent specimens of 

 the fruit, with a great many other new pears, to the Horti- 

 cultural Society. Mr. Turner, the under secretary, pro- 

 nounced it to be the very best of all the new Flemish pears 

 yet raised ; to which I have to add, that I accord with professor 

 Van Mons and Mr. Turner, in my opinion of its merits, it 

 being in my estimation the very best table fruit that we at 

 present possess, for its season, which is from the middle of 

 October to the middle of November. • I gave buds or grafts 

 of this pear to Mr. Young, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Kirk, Mr. 

 Ronalds, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Masters, Mr. Knevett, and many 

 other nurserymen and gardeners, of whom I presume plants 

 by this time may be had. 



As I do not like to send you a barren letter, I herewith 

 forward you specimens of two other new peai's, which have 

 heretofore been exhibited by me at a meeting of the Horti- 

 culture Society. 



Beurre Pentacost. (Good. Cond.) 



Poire d'Ananas. This pear is nearly allied in appearance 



