PEARS. 



83 



almost wholly of a dark gray colour, and is twenty-eight to 

 thirty lines in diameter and three inches in height; the skin is 

 a little rough to the touch, which arises from its being scat- 

 tered over with a great profusion of specks, which viewed with 

 a magnifying glass, appear like cracks in the skin itself — this 

 however is common to many other pears; the flesh is melting, 

 sweet, and of a very pleasant taste. The seeds are brown, 

 and the fruit ripens in October and November. It is culti- 

 vated in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris and in many other 

 French gardens under the name given above as a synonyme, 

 as well as under the one at the head; but another pear having 

 already been called Chat-hride by Duhamel, the other title has 

 been adopted in the last edition of his work, whence this des- 

 cription is extracted. 



SAINT LAURENT. N. Duh. Calv. 



This pear is nearly of the form and size of the Early French 

 Bergamot or Bergamotte-precoce already described ; the skin 

 is at first greenish, but becomes yellow at maturity ; the flesh 

 is slightly acid, but loses that flavour when cooked; it ripens 

 early in August and is not considered very worthy o culture. 

 It is common in the southern departments of France, but very 

 little known in the environs of Paris. 



VALEE FRANCHE. Duh. 



This fruit is pyriform and flattened like a pelerin gourd ; 

 the skin is green and shining, but acquires a yellow hue at full 

 maturity ; the flesh is rather greenish, replete with juice of an 

 agreeable flavour, but it soon becomes mealy and soft ; the 

 fruit ripens at the end of September or beginning of October. 

 The tree is vigorous when grafted on the pear stock, but does 

 not succeed well on the quince. 



