THE PEARS OF NEW YORK I9I 
East, the fruits are but mediocre in appearance and quality, falling below 
those of a dozen other varieties of the same season whether judged by the 
eye or the palate. In Illinois and Missouri, however, the fruits are spoken 
of as the handsomest and best. These are not regions in which many 
good pears grow, since the cold of winter, heat of summer, and pear-blight 
take toll from all but pears of the strongest constitution. Lincoln seems to 
possess a constitution to withstand these ills. At its best, the fruits of 
Lincoln seem comparable to those of Bartlett, which the western ‘admirers 
of the variety say it resembles. In New York, comparisons of the fruits 
are all in favor of Bartlett, as are the trees in all characters excepting 
hardiness to heat and cold, and resistance to blight. The variety is valuable 
only in the Middle West. 
This pear had its origin in a seedling grown in the spring of 1835 by 
Mrs. Maria Fleming, Corwin, Illinois. The original tree proved to be a 
vigorous grower as well as a heavy cropper, and was ultimately given the 
name of Lincoln. Augustine and Company of Normal, Illinois, propagated 
and distributed the variety about 1895. Young trees of the variety appear 
to be vigorous growers, free from blight and of high quality. The Ameri- 
can Pomological Society added Lincoln to its list of fruits in 1899. 
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped, hardy, very productive; trunk 
stocky, smooth; branches zigzag, greenish-brown, partly overspread with thin gray scarf- 
skin, marked on the younger wood with very numerous large, round lenticels; branchlets 
slender, very long, willowy, brownish-green overlaid with thin gray, dull, the new growth 
reddish-green, with numerous large, roundish, raised lenticels. 
Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 33 in. long, 1} in. wide, 
stiff; apex variable; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 23 in. long, glabrous, tinged with 
Ted; stipules very long and slender, pinkish. Flower-buds small, short, conical, free, 
singly on short spurs; flowers 1§ in, across, well distributed, average 5 buds in a cluster; 
pedicels 14 in. long, slender, pubescent. 
Fruit matures in late August and September; medium in size, about 2} in. in length 
‘and width, roundish, with an obtuse neck, tapering very slightly; stem 14 in. long, slender; 
cavity a slight, narrow depression, occasionally lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated 
at the base, long, acuminate; basin shallow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical; skin thick, 
tender, roughish; color yellow, sprinkled with few russet lines and nettings; dots numerous, 
small, russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, firm, coarse and granular, tender, 
very juicy, sweet, aromatic, pleasing but not richly flavored; quality good. Core unusually 
large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, very 
wide, long, plump, acuminate. 
