116 



PEARS. 



mity and somewhat fleshy at its origin, is inserted rather ob 

 liquely at the point of and even with the fruit ; the skin is 

 lemon colour where shaded, and sometimes faintly tinged with 

 light red — on the side exposed to the sun it is a bright and 

 pretty deep red, — the whole surface is also interspersed with 

 very small specks, which are red upon the yellow ground and 

 light gray upon the red ; the flesh is white inclining to yellow, 

 breaking, not gritty, and of a sweet and agreeable flavour ; 

 the seeds are short, quite perfect, not much pointed, and of a 

 brown hue, and the fruit ripens in January and can be pre- 

 served until in April ; it is good when cooked, but at its per- 

 fect maturity it answers very well to be eaten raw. 



IMPERIAL. Pe. cat. 



Imperial oak leaved. Pr. cat. 25 ed. 



Imperiale d feuille de Chene. Roz. O. Duh. Coxe. 



Imperiale. N. Duh. Die. d'Agric. 



Oak leaved. 



This pear is two inches nine lines in height, and two inches 

 three lines in diameter ; it is rounded at the head, and the eye, 

 which is small, is there placed almost even with the fruit ; the 

 part next the stalk diminishes almost uniformly in size, and its 

 extremity is obtuse ; the stem is ten lines long, pretty lai'ge 

 especially at its origin, and inserted in the centre of a flattened 

 space ; the skin, which is at first green and very even, becomes 

 wrinkled when it approaches maturity and by degrees attains 

 a yellow colour ; the flesh is melting and of a sweet flavour ; 

 the seeds are large, brown, quite perfect, and terminate in a 

 long point ; this fruit has commonly but four cells ; it ripens 

 in April and May, and although it is not deemed excellent, it 

 has some merit at that season : the tree is vigorous, and may 

 be ingrafted on the pear and the quince ; the leaves are very 

 large, denticulated without much regularity, and plaited and 

 undulated on their borders in such a manner that they appear 

 as if cut, and resemble a small leaf of frizzled cabbage, lathei 

 than an oak leaf- 



