22 THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 
“ Speckbirn, that is, Lard pear, swell in the middle with a thick belly, 
from which they suddenly taper off into a point; they have a length of 
more than three inches, a width somewhat less than three inches; they 
are of pale color, and like the Provost, speckled with green dots, rather 
mild and sweet to the taste, dissolving in the mouth like lard, whence they 
have received their name, and with the abundance of their juice they 
quench: thirst; when they are peeled they give a sweet odor. They ripen 
at the beginning of autumn and very easily decay. 
“ Kaulbirn, that is, Ball pear, have almost the roundness of a globe, 
except that near the stalk they rise to a blunt and inconspicuous circle. 
Their length is scarcely two inches; they rarely exceed this, but in width 
slightly exceed their length. In color they are pale green, in taste and 
smell they rival the Lard with which also they come to ripeness; these 
too easily decay. They are found at. Eisleben. 
“ Hanffbirn, that is, Hemp pear, are like the Ball but a little larger; 
they have a green color, marked with spots or dots; in taste they correspond 
to the Ball, but do not dissolve so readily in the mouth; they ripen at the 
same time, and are easily affected by decay. These too are found at 
Eisleben. 
“‘ Glockenbirn, that is, Bell pear, from a broad base narrow down to 
a sort of narrow neck and then end in a blunt head; they have quite the 
shape of a bell, whence they have received their name. They are wholly 
of a yellow color spotted with dots, in length a little less than three inches, 
but in width they do not reach two inches. They have no unpleasant 
odor, especially when peeled; in taste they correspond to the Hemp, and 
reach maturity at the same time, and easily decay. They grow in abundance 
at E/isleben. 
“ Kénigsbirn, King’s pear, or Regalbirn, Rule pear, that is, Royal 
pear, are large and big-bellied; they have a length sometimes of four inches, 
a width a little less; they are of bluish-gray color, but in that part where 
they have had the sun they become slightly red. They are astringent to 
the taste and with a copious juice, and that sweet and something like 
wine, they allay thirst. They ripen when the sun has entered Libra, and 
do not so easily decay. 
‘“ Klunssbirn, that is, Lump pear, are of two varieties; both kinds, 
however, correspond proportionately in shape to the Royal, but are inferior 
to them in size. There is a difference in color, for one kind has a bluish- 
gray color, the other reddish-gray. They have a juice similar in flavor to 
the Royal but more acid. They ripen with the Royal. In Saxony there 
is great abundance of them, especially at Hildesheim. ' 
‘ Bonnebirn, that is, Bonn pear, so-called from the city of Bonn on 
the Rhine, from which they have been transplanted into other districts. 
They have an almost spherical shape, except that near the stalk they end 
