Culture of the Pear. 327 



Consider the quantity of water that fell on these trees in the 

 course of a year, and also consider the fine fruit which they 

 produced. Now the case is quite altered ; for, in place of 

 being exposed, as formerly, to plenty of water, they are com- 

 pletely shut out from it by the cope which I have already 

 described. This cope was recommended by Sir Alexander 

 Hope, to whom we are much indebted for many valuable dis- 

 coveries in horticulture. I did not much like it at first, but 

 am now convinced that it is of use during the ripening season ; 

 namely, August, September, and October; and it only adds 

 to my labour during the spring and summer months, in 

 attending to them with water, which ought to be as soft as 

 possible ; soapy water, from the washing-house, being prefer- 

 able. I said above that we had lost our crop this season, 

 owing to cold and wet, I should only have said cold, for we 

 have not had too much wet for fig trees if we had had heat 

 along with it. The age of the fig trees in question is not 

 known, but I am told by some old residents that they were 

 large trees in 11^6. 



I am. Sir, &c. 

 Ormistoji Hall, Oct. 22. 1830. William Pearson. 



Art. XXVr. On the Culture of the Pear, ivith Remarks on Mr. 

 Hiver's Practice. By Mr. B. Saunders, Nurseryman, Jersey. 



Sir, 



I HOPE that Mr. Hiver does not consider the observations 

 I made on his article on pears, in Vol. VI. p. 53., as ema- 

 nating from a spirit of criticism, or a wish to condemn his 

 system : on the contrary, my object was to obtain further in- 

 formation on a subject in which I take much interest, and 

 with which he appears to be so thoroughly conversant. 



Residing, as I do, on an island celebrated for its produc- 

 tion of fine fruit, particularly of the pear kind ; where every 

 cultivator, to a certain extent, prides himself in rivalling his 

 neighbours in his productions ; and where, from our contiguity 

 and constant communication with France and other parts of 

 the Continent, we have frequent opportunities of obtaining 

 new sorts ; I have, within the last twelve years, been enabled 

 to prove the qualities of a vast variety, as well as to study 

 their peculiar habits and modes of cultivation. 



To be minute in the detail of the relative merits of each 

 sort would create matter too voluminous for insertion here ; 

 and, at the present moment, would be a task that would in- 



Y A 



