142 Madia sativa, as an Oil Plant. 



Bcurrc Jiosc is not an abundant bearer while the tree is young; but a 

 highly flavoured and delicious pear. Last season it was fit for the table, in the 

 beginning of November; this season it retained its flavour and juice till the 

 end. 



Louise-Bonne of Jersey "is also a November pear. My notes for November, 

 1837, say, "juicy and medium-flavoured;" but this season, I gave it un- 

 qualified praise, as the few fruit my trees produced were quite delicious. This 

 variety blooms too early for cold springs. 



Glout Morceau may be called a Christmas pear. These two last seasons, 

 I suspect, owing to the want of sun, and our usual atmospheric warmth, not 

 more than half of the produce of my numerous standards have had fla- 

 vour. I reckon this pear inclined to be tame and insipid. It forms a robust 

 and handsome tree, even in the most cold and clayey soils.* 



The Beurre de Capiaumont may be called the " Hawthorden " (alluding to 

 the well known prolific nature of the apple of that name) of pears. It bears 

 abundantly everywhere, at all ages, and under any circumstances ; and, for 

 October, is a very handsome and very delicious pear. For a " Cockney 

 garden " it is invaluable, bearing well in pots. 



Thompson's Pear, for an autumnal pear, is quite worthy of cultivation. This 

 season, these pears were remarkably juicy and high-flavoured, and fit for the 

 table the whole of November. Like most of the new pears, this is hardy ; the 

 trees, even in the coldest soil, growing freely, without canker. 



The Winter Nelis, Bonne de Malines, or Nelis d'Hiver, like Hacon's incom- 

 parable, ought to be planted by every owner of a garden. It bears well as a 

 standard, though the fruit is rather small ; but nothing can be more delicious 

 than this desirable pear, during the whole of January. 



The Althorp Crassane approaches the last very nearly in excellence, but 

 seems variable in its time of ripening. Last season they kept well till the 

 end of January ; this season they were quite ripe early in December. The 

 tree is inclined to be thorny, but it is remarkably hardy and bears well. 



The Winter Crassane is, perhaps, one of the hardiest and most prolific 

 pears known ; but it is not of first-rate excellence. Still, as it keeps well 

 till February, though not very juicy or high-flavoured, it ought to be planted ; 

 more particularly in soils and situations unfavourable to the finer varieties. 



It may be proper to remark, that, as the period of ripening and quality 

 of the Flemish, and new pears in general, vary so much in different soils, 

 situations, and seasons, it will be interesting to hear from different corre- 

 spondents their opinions ; always stating the soil, and the situation of the 

 trees. The trees on which my fruit grew are in a sandy loam, and the sub- 

 soil generally is a siliceous sand. — Sawbridge worth Nursery, January 20. 1839. 



Art. XI. On the Cultivation of Madia sativa, as an Oil Plant. 

 By W. Hertz, Nurseryman and Seedsman, Stuttgard. 



M. Bosch, superintendant of the gardens of the king of Wirtemburg, has 

 made numerous experiments for many years on acclimatising exotic plants, 



* A standard tree of this variety, which we have at Bayswater, and of which 

 there is a portrait in the Arb. Brit., has borne freely every year since it was 

 planted, in 1824. The fruit has been invariably high-flavoured ; it is in per- 

 fection now (Feb. 10.), and as delicious as in any preceding season. The soil 

 is a loam on gravel ; the situation open, but surrounded by suburban houses. 

 It is a characteristic of the pear, however, as Van Mons has observed, to grow 

 better in and about towns, than any other fruit tree, except, perhaps, the 

 fig and the mulberry. Since the above was written, we understand that Mr. 

 Masters of Canterbury has two varieties of the Glout morceau ; one, which 

 seems to be identical with the kind of which we have a tree, he calls Glout 

 morceau de Cambron. — Cond. 



