New Pears introduced by Mr. Braddick. 41 



The Urbaniste, after being kept till the 20th September, 

 began to yield to the pressure of the thumb near the stem ; 

 we then tasted it, and found it, as we think, about as good as 

 the Swan's Egg. The specimen of Henri Quatre was partly 

 decayed before it was received. — Cond. 



Nov. 15. — We have received, at different times this sea- 

 son, specimens of upwards of a dozen sorts of new pears from 

 Mr. Braddick ; but as the late rains succeeding to so very dry 

 a summer have materially injured both the flavour and keeping 

 property of hardy fruits, we forbear reporting on them till we 

 shall have tasted them under more favourable circumstances. 

 The following extract from one of Mr. B.'s letters, dated 

 Oct. 31., contains some important hints. "Pears do not 

 keep well this year; the two last parcels I sent you, (*Beurre 

 d'Hiver, Gros Dillen, Josephine, and *King of Pears, and 

 Egg Pear, *Passe Colmar, *Beurre d'Aremberg, and *Poire 

 d' Ananas), have become fit for table full two months earlier 

 than usual. This, I conceive, is occasioned by the dry 

 summer being followed by rain just before the keeping fruit 

 ripened; this rain has surcharged their juices with water, and 

 consequently induces premature decay. I have received buds 

 of Merveille de la Nature Pear, (Vol. i. p. 472.), late in the 

 season ; they have every appearance of having taken, and as 

 soon as they make wood, I shall be glad to share it with any 

 horticulturist that desires to participate in the experiment of 

 making trial of its good or bad qualities when grown in our 

 climate : for I am firmly of opinion that no judgment can 

 be formed of fruit raised in one country, when grown in ano- 

 ther of ever so little difference of climate and soil, until a fair 

 trial has been made in various ways ; such as growing in ex- 

 posed and sheltered situations, on wall, espalier, and standard 

 trees, gathering early and late, &c. &c. The Alpha pears this 

 year, which I gathered, to disburthen the newly-raised young 

 trees, about the 15th of September, kept well, although a 

 little shrivelled, and came to table with good flavour last 

 week, when the fruit of the same tree, which I let hang till the 

 5th of October, all turned mealy before the 20th of the same 

 month ; indeed, their flavour was by no means equal to the 

 windfalls, which were blown from the tree before the rains 

 came. As to your correspondent wondering at my having 

 built my cellars so deep, you may tell him that I should not 

 have done so, had it not been for the temptation of the fine 

 stone which I found and obtained at an easy expense by so 

 doing. Fruit put away completely dry, and excluded from 



