NEW VARIETY OF PEAR. gl { 



bf fruits Indtice me to believe, that a good copy of almost 

 any varitfties may be obtained ; and as I have more than 

 once siu'c^eded in combininj> the hardiness and vigour of 

 the yellow Siberian crab, with the richness of the golden 

 pippin, 1 do not doubt of the practicability of combining 

 the hardiness of the swan's egg pear with all the valuable 

 qualities of the c ilmar, <ir bezi de Chaumontel , and I con- 

 sider the climate of England as peculiarly well calculated 

 for the necessary experiments*. 



I am disposed to annex some degree of importance to the Cheap fruits 

 production of abundant crops of fruit to supply our mar- ^j^^jq^j^j ^.jg"^^ 

 kets, at a moderate price, during the winter and spring ; for 

 it has been often observed, that great manufacturing towns 

 have been generally more healthy in seasons, when fruits have 

 abounded, than in others; and the same palate, which is ac- 

 customed to, and pleased with sweet fruits, is rarely found 

 to be pleased with spirits, or strong: fermented liquors: 

 therefore, as feeble causes, which are constantly operating, 

 ultimately produce very extensive effects on the habits of 

 mankind, I am inclined to hope, and to believe, that raar- 

 ket« abundantly supplied at all seasons with fruits would 

 have a tendency to operate favourably, both on the physical 

 and moral health of our people. 



Under these considerations, I have amused myself with Attempts to 

 ..... Ill effect this, 



attempts to form new varieties of winter pears ; and though 



my experiments are yet in their infancy, and 1 have seen the 

 result of one only, and that under very unfavourable circum- 

 stances, I am induced to state the progress, that I have 

 made, to the Horticultural Society, in the hope that others 

 will join me in the same pursuit. 



In the spring of the year 1797, I extracted the stamina Experiment, 

 from the blossoms of a young and vigorous tree of the au- 

 tumn bergamot pear, which grew in a very rich soil ; and I 

 introduced, at the proper subsequent period, the pollen of 

 the St. Germain pear, and from this experiment I obtained 

 several fruits, with ripe seeds: I, however, succeeded in 

 raising only two plants. One of these was feeble and dwarf- 

 ish in its growth, as well as wild and thorny in its appear* 

 ance, and I did not think it worth preserving. The other 



• See Hort. Trans., vol. 1, p. 30 : or Journ. vol. XVIII, p. 189. 



p 2 presented 



