490 Scientific Intelligence. 
Bote of the edible varieties of pears, may have ’more interest 
for the horticulturist. But the present gehen As the special atten- 
tion of the scientific botanist. 
As stated in the Introduction, Prof. Decaisne entered upon his 
tions under which the separate collection of fruit-trees was consti- 
tuted, and the professor of culture was charged with its manage- 
ment, and was directed to bring together all the known varieties, 
with all their names, “afin d’é tablir une uniformité de nomencla- 
ture necessaire pour toutes les parties de la République.” This is 
decree of the National Convention, June 10, 1793. The collee- 
tion which Decaisne has so diligently and acutely studied actually 
dates from the year 1792, when the fruit-garden of the Chartreux 
of Paris was broken up, and two trees of each variety transported 
to the Jardin des Plantes. In 1793 it contained 185 varieties. In 
1824, when Thouin died, there were in it 265 varieties of pears 
alone; it has now more than 1400 varieties of this fruit. It is 
interesting and important to know that collection still preserves 
oe rtion of the very types described a century ago by 
hamel. or cana years Prof. f Devaisne studied the incomparable 
which he is so skillful, and an hebark ium of their flowers and foli- 
ci ge aeias which 86: - now bringing to a ¢ 
ke ect nomenclature and ‘available characters, 
this is difficult cinch: as all ahgenaes know, for the species them 
selves (which must needs have, or be assumed to have, real dis- 
measly named without system, ‘vometines of mixed origin, and 
often too like each other to be distinguished by “7 1 ae 
descriptions. Here colored plates are a necessity ; en 
this great standard work, upon which no pains have boi spared, 
leave little to be desired that art can supply. 
In France alone they count about 800 soe of pears; the origin 
of most of them is unknown, and many are undoubtedly very 
ancient. Indeed, accordin to J ordan ‘kad his school these ee 
ences are primitive, and the so-called races and varieties, bo 
wild and cultivated plants, represent so many ¢ 
