420 THE PEAR, 
and uniformly good flavour in all seasons—these are the crite 
rions of the first. class of pears.* 
Most of the finer varieties of pears have not the necessary 
hardihood to.enable them to resist, perfectly uninjured, the 
violent atmospheric changes of our climate, except under favour- 
able circumstances, consequently the fruit is more or less vari- 
able in quality ; and this is more particularly true of some that 
come to.us from abroad with promise of the highest excellence, 
and to pronounce an abiding judgment upon their merits re- 
quires many years’ experience, and careful observation under 
different. circumstances, and in various localities, And it must 
be borne in mind, that although young trees give fruit of nearly 
or quite full size and beauty, yet perfection of flavour is only to 
be expected from trees of more mature age. The inference is 
not legitimate that a variety which exhibits: great excellence 
in Belgium, or some of the districts of France, will exhibit gene- 
rally in all localities in the United States the same excellence; 
but the supposition is fair, and borne out by some experience, 
that those which possess excellence of a particular character in 
an eminent degree in Europe, will generally exhibit the same 
in particular localities in this country. We would instance such 
vigorous growers, with pretty solid flesh, as the following: Belle 
Lucrative, Rostiezer, Duchess d’Angouléme, Beurre Hardy, &c. 
To produce satisfactory results in the’ cultivation of pears, some 
of its wants must always be complied with, such as good depth 
of soil, sufficient drainage, and proper enrichment. 
In describing pears, we shall, as usual; designate the size by 
comparison, as follows: Large, as the Betrré Diel or Bartlett; 
medium, as the Doyenné or Virgalieu; small, as the Seckel.’ 
With regard to form, Ist. Pyriform, (blaze form,) by which 
some recurvation of the perpendicular lines bounding the sides 
is intended, as Andrews, and the form is further divided into acute, 
as Beurré Bose; obtuse, as Beurré Diel; elongated, as Dix and 
Louise Bonne de Jersey; and depressed pyriform, as Winter 
Nelis. 2d. Obovate, or egg-shaped, as Washington; turbinate, 
as Bloodgood ; obconic, (a form related to the two latter,) but 
with a broader base, as Buffum, or Truncate obconic, as Easter 
Beurré or White Doyenne. 3d. Oblate, as Fulton, and Bergamot- 
\* The most successful cultivator of pears in this country, whose collec- 
tion comprises hundreds of varieties, lately assured us, that if he were 
asked to name all the sorts that _he considered of unvarying and unques- 
tionable excellence in all respects; he could not count more than 20! It 
_ may then he asked, why do all cultivate so large a variety. We answer, 
because the quality of many is yet not fully decided; agair, there is a 
great difference in taste, as to the merits of a given sort; there are also 
some sorts so productive, or handsome, &o., that they are highly esteemed, 
though only second rate. In a work like the present, we are also obliged 
to describe many sorts of second quality, in order to agsist in identifying, 
them, as they are already in general cultivation. A 
a 
