January 13, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



29 



about the size of pigeons' eggs, when a sudden fall of the ther- 

 mometer nearly denuded the trees. Yet hope was strong ; and 

 although a thin crop was left I expected, with a rise of tempera- 

 ture, to have come out strong with those that were left. But 

 one mishap very often follows another j and whilst I was in 

 London in the beginning of August seeing the great Exhibition, 

 a hurricane tore over London, and was felt over a wide zone of 

 country. Even our beauiiful Somerset felt the " chilly blast ;" 

 and when I reached home, oh ! my poor Pears ! there they lay in 

 their glory, and there I left them for the birds. A few only 

 now remained, and it was evident that I could do nothing in 

 the show way, so I was content to watch what were left, and to 

 note their daily progress. 



The ricolte came, and I found many sorts had braved every 

 danger, and were brought safe into port. How they have fared 

 since I may now tell. Altogether I saved specimens of about 

 150 kinds, but many of these were small. The following sorts 

 bore well, and have generally kept well : — " 



Bergamot, Easter. — Now ripe, two to three months before its 

 usual time ; buttery and delicious. 



Bergamot, Gansel's (from Pyramid). — First-rate flavour, and 

 kept two months longer than usual. 



Beurre Berckmans (Pyramid). — A beautiful and delicious 

 little Pear, just done, Christmas-eve, its usual time. 



Beurre Bosc (Pyramid). — Large, rich, aromatic, and delicious ; 

 just now finished — Christmas, two months later than usual. 



Beurre d'Aremberg (Pyramid). — Melting, buttery, and very 

 rich. Ripe end of November, two months before its usual time. 



Beurre de Capiaumont (Pyramid). — An abundant crop, fine 

 flavour, and first-rate this season here. Once in two or three 

 years, in my soil, it is worthless. Ripe about its usual time, 

 October. 



Beurre Diel. — In my soil always small, and not often second- 

 rate. This season better than usual, and some of the fruit have 

 kept till now. Speaking generally, in this neighbourhood this 

 kind is magnificent. 



Beurre de Ranee seems keeping well, and I suppose will do so 

 till May by its appearance. 



Beurre Duhaume, Beurre Easter, Beurre" Gris d'Hiver, and 

 Beurre Langelier have all kept well till now, and have been and 

 ■are excellent. 



Beurre Navez and Beurre Superfin. — The first bore an 

 immense crop, which was very good, and ripened as usual in 

 September ; the second was delicious, kept sound, and was ripe 

 in the end of September. 



Bishop's Thumb. — A heavy crop. Has been in use during 

 November until now, and very good. Some still remaining. 



Bon Chretien, Williams'. — Was very fine, large, and good. 

 Ripe as usual. One of the hardiest Pears known. 



Broompark has kept well, and is just beginning to turn ripe. 

 Pirst-rate from my soil. 



Calebasse. — Heavy crop. Kept sound, and ripened as usual 

 in October. 



Calebasse Grosse. — Very large, and with me very fine ; this 

 season extra fine. 



Catinka. — A delicious and first-rate fruit here ; is just done, 

 its usual time. 



Chaumontel. — Not yet come in ; seems to be keeping well 

 bayond the usual time here. 



Citron des Cannes. — Bore abundantly this season, and was 

 ripe from the tree in August. 



Colmar Neill. — Not good this Eeason; just done two months 

 after its usual time. 



Comte de Plandre. — Pirst-rate ; has kept good till now, 

 December 31st. 



Comte de Lamy. — Immense crop, of which the birds had the 

 greatest share : they know what is good. What they left 

 ripened in November ; extra delicious. 



Conseiller de la Cour. — A splendid Pear in my soil, and the 

 iree a great bearer, especially upon the Quince. Good till end 

 of November. 



Delices d'Hardenpont (Belgique), and Delices de Jodoigne 

 have both been excellent, and have kept over their usual time. 



De Trousseau. — Has been excellent here, and it ripened in 

 the beginning of December. 



Doyenne Boussoch. — Delicious, and ripened a week after it 

 was gathered, October 18th. 



Doyenne Defais and Doyenne Goubault. — Both ripened in 

 December, and are first-rate sorts. 



Duchesse de Mars. — Small here this season, but a good crop. 



No si^ns of ripening yet ; usual time November and December 

 Delicious. 



Duchesse d'Orleans. — Was fine in October, its usual time. 



Easter Bergamot and Easter Beurre. — Now both ripe and 

 delicious, the last especially melting and fine. Usual time 

 February. 



Pigue de Naples. — Not yet ripe ; usual time November. 



Pondante d'Automue. — Abundant orop, excellent, and ripened 

 in October ; later than usual. 



Pondante des Charneux and Fondante de Noiil. — Both first- 

 rate. The first ripened December 4th ; the last is not yet ready. 

 Usual time Christmas — one of the best of Pears. 



Glou Morceau. — Delicious, and ripened in November ; a 

 month sooner than usual. 



Grand Soleil. — Large and excellent. Ripe end of November, 

 akout its usual time. 



Hacon's Incomparable. — Was ripe in November and very 

 good. 



Jaminette. — Not yet ripe. 



Laure de Glymes. — Pirst-rate. Ripened in November ; usual 

 time October. 



Louise Bonne of Jersey. — Ripened about a fortnight later 

 than usual. 



Marie Louise. — Eept good until November, and was then 

 excellent. 



Monarch. — Bore well this season. Fruit not yet ripe, but 

 looks sound and good. 



Napoleon. — Bore well, but the fruit was ripe from the tree 

 in October. 



Ne Plus Meuris. — Just beginning to turn soft. Bore well. 



Paradise d'Automue and Passe Colmar. — Both good, and just 

 becoming ripe. 



Rondelet. — A delicious sort. Ripened in the middle of 

 November. 



Seckle. — Some of the fruit kept till November, and was 

 delicious. 



Sieulle. — A fine aromatic fruit ; kept sound till November. 



Thompson's. — This fine Pear ripened in October, a month 

 earlier than usual. 



Urbaniste. — This delicious Pear ripened early in October, its 

 proper time. 



Van Assche. — A rich and fine Pear ; kept sound till the 

 middle of December. 



Vicar of Winkfield. — Is now in eating, and is this season a 

 nice juicy fruit ; generally only fit for the Gook. 



Winter Nelis. — Whilst writing these notes, I have just had 

 some in to taste this delicious and first-rate Christmas fruit. 

 It will continue good for another fortnight. 



Zephirin Gregoire. — This rich, sugary, and delicious Pear 

 ripened here a month ago, being nearly two months earlier than 

 it does sometimes. 



Besides those enumerated above, I have Btill some others not 

 yet ripe ; but they are, generally small and inferior to what 

 they should be, and it would not be doing them justice to say 

 anything about them this season, which has not been at all a 

 propitious one. May we hope that the one just arriving may 

 prove more genial ? Again, our fruit trees are covered with buds, 

 I think to even a greater extent than last season ; and look- 

 ing over my collection of Pears, three hundred sorts, to-day 

 (January 1), on purpose to report to you the prospects of the 

 coming season, I find very few indeed that are entirely devoid 

 of fruit-buds, and the Cherries, Plums, and Apples in the 

 orchards here look promising indeed. 



We have now had four good cider years following, and there 

 is every appearance of having a fifth. I think we must thank 

 the wind for this, as it thinned the crops liberally, giving two 

 advantages to the orchardists — viz., a good crop of finer and 

 better-matured fruit, and also a prospect of a crop the following 

 year, from which I think that " those who run may read " a 

 lesson. Were we to attend more to the careful thinning of our 

 fruits, our trees would not suffer by overbearing, and the quality 

 of the fruit would be much improved, and its keeping properties 

 lengthened-out. Does a Grape-grower expect, when he leaves 

 all his bunches on and his berries also, as is nearly always the 

 case with out-door Grapes, to obtain a crop the next year? We 

 all know that Grape-growing requires extra thinning, and who 

 will say that the same rule ought not to be applied to all kinds 

 of fruit ? Were proper thinning and careful root-culture more 

 attended to, we should find the keeping qualities of most fruits 

 much improved. — J. Scott, Merriott, Somerset. 



