112 On Pear Trees and Pomological Publications.^ 



consider folios as cumbrous pieces of machinery ; and think 

 that, if fruits were classed by seasons or in families, you might 

 arrange octavo tables, and give us a valuable volume cor- 

 responding with your Magazine. 



I have taken the liberty of enclosing a slip of paper, contain- 

 ing a memorandum of the size of some fruits gathered in 1827 

 {^gs. 46, 47. )j merely to show the mode I adopt for reduc- 

 ing trouble. I very much doubt whether a table of leaves will 

 effect much good : I have spent hours in comparing them ; 

 but, from the similarity of leaves upon different trees, and 

 the dissimilarity of them upon the same tree, I have given 

 up the pursuit. With regard to orchard fruits, I despaired 

 of bringing the comparisons to any practical use. 



The seventh table {Gard.Mag.^Yol.lU. p. 327./^. 122.) is 

 excellently adapted to forward the plan : an espalier tree takes 

 the form which the gardener chooses to give it, but a standard 

 will assume its own character. The table of blossoms (Vol. III. 

 ^g. 118.) maybe made to render much assistance. Some pear 

 trees, when in blossom, have no leaf, while others are much in 

 leaf; and this is a distinguishing character which pervades all 

 the varieties of pears and apples, and it is a distinction of more 

 consequence than market-gardeners are aware of : for instance, 

 the Tiffin apple, which has scarce one leaf when in full bloom ; 

 the Cornish crab so much, that you can scarcely see the flowers. 

 The former is (to my mind, consequently) a very shy setter of 

 fruit, while the latter sets abundantly well. The Whitesmith 

 gooseberry is of this character : it bears a noble berry, but, 

 though an abundant bloomer, the fruit falls four years out 

 of five, from the want of leaves to shelter it from the moisture, 

 which often freezes upon the trees in April. Such distinctions 

 must give great facility to artists, in depicting the costume of 

 trees when in blossom, if gardeners direct the attention of 

 artists to such distinctions well : but as it is, an engraving is 

 perfected much in the way of what is done at the herald's office, 

 " where the engraver is never ordered to Exeter Change 

 before he tricks out his heraldic lion." 



Respecting the pictorial department, I confess I myself 

 wish to have good painted specimens of fruit, the colouring to 

 be given in the mature state ; for it will otherwise give no index 

 to the fruit it represents, which, like the chameleon, frequently 

 alters its appearance from one shade of colour to another : 

 but, perhaps, you, knowing the general opinion, may deem 

 such delineations too costly ; and perhaps yours may, through 

 economy, be scarcely sufficient guides to common practi- 

 tioners. You will remark that the description should be under 



