132 



PEARS, 



the margin being sharply pointed but not with deep serratures ; 

 the petioles of these are about an inch in length ; the leaves 

 near the base of the shoots, and particularly at the spurs, have 

 very long slender petioles, so that they have a very straggling 

 appearance, twisting and facing to various directions; the 

 leaves are there flat, elliptical, with the margin entire ; the 

 flowers are middle-size with obovate petals ; fruit varying from 

 medium to large according to circumstances, oblong, tapering 

 from the middle towards both ends, the lower of which is ob- 

 tuse and the upper oblique, with a permanent projecting calyx ; 

 stalk more than an inch long ; skin in the most favourable 

 situations and circumstances nearly smooth, with a little cin- 

 namon coloured russet upon a light yellowish green ground, 

 but it has much more russet and brown in other cases ; flesh 

 white, exceedingly juicy, melting, buttery, and rich. There 

 js said to have been an erroneous variety sent to this country 

 from Europe under this name. 



WINTER NELIS. Pom. mag. Pr. cat. 



Nelis d^hyver, of many Flemish and English gardens. 

 La bonne Malinoise, ) /. - . 

 Bonne de Mcdmes, I of various publications. 



The Pomological Magazine describes this as follows : 

 An excellent winter pear, in perfection in December and 

 January, originally raised by M. Nelis, of Mecklin, in honour 

 of whom it was named, but before its title was settled it had 

 acquired the other appellations above stated. 



" It bears pretty well ; the fruit is of very high quality, and 

 is expected to become a favourite of the dessert ; by some it 

 is deemed superior to the Chaumontelle, which is a high charac- 

 ter ; the wood is moderately strong, yellowish, sprinkled with 

 some small pale brown dots ; leaves middle-sized, elliptical- 

 ovate, tapering regularly to each end, somewhat recurved on 

 the midrib, the margins nearly entire ; petiole long and slender ; 

 Stipules linear ; flowers middle-sized, petals obovate, tapering 



