122 



PEARS. 



are long, pointed, not well matured, and of a black hue ; this 

 fruit is excellent to cook or to form compotes, and will keep 

 from one year to the other. Duhamel himself states that in the 

 month of November, when he made his description, there were 

 still some remaining of the previous year that were in a very 

 sound and perfect condition, and which could yet be kept a 

 long time, and at the period named, they were very palatable. 

 Duhamel adds, that there are few pears which so highly merit 

 cultivation as this variety, 



AMBRETTE. Quin. Roz. Tourn. Duh. Mil. For. 



aA.mbretj Amhrette^ Winter AmbreU Evel. 

 Trompe-valet, of some countries according to Quintinye. 

 Cheat-servant, synonyme according to Evelyn. 

 Amhrette d^kiver, '\ 

 Amhrette avec epines, i 



Amhrette d^Mver avec epincs, s of various collections, 

 Amhrette grise, v 

 Thorny Amhrette, j 



The first notice I have found of this fine pear is in the work§ 

 of the celebrated De la Quintinye, published about the year 

 1690. He enumerates three varieties of the Ambrette, viz. 



The Ambrette, ripe in November, December, and January, a very 

 good pear. 



The Ambrette of Bourgeuil, or Graville, ripe the thirteenth of 



October, an indifferent pear. 

 The thornless Ambrette, ripe in November, an indifferent pear. 



It is the first of these that is the subject of the present arti- 

 cle, and strange as it may appear, the other two are not des- 

 cribed by either Duhamel, Rozier, Miller, or Forsyth, or 

 noticed in the Jardin Fruitier, or Bon Jardinier. This fine 

 fruit is said to have derived its title from its musky odour, 

 which has a strong affinity to that of the Sweet Sultan flower^ 

 called in France Ambrette. 



In the description given by De la Quintinye, after first re- 



