196 On the Preservation of Fruits. 



October till February and March. A dry and cold situation, 

 in which there is little change of temperature, is the best for 

 the vessels ; but I have found the merits of the Pears to be 

 greatly increased by their being taken from the vessels about 

 ten days before they were wanted for use, and being kept in 

 a warm room ; for warmth at this, as at other periods, acce- 

 lerates the maturity of the Pear. The same agent accelerates 

 its decay also ; and a warmer climate cannot contribute to 

 the superior success of the French gardeners ; which proba- 

 bly arises only from the circumstance of their fruit being the 

 produce of standard, or espalier trees. 



I have, in a former communication,* given an opinion, 

 that good varieties of hardy Winter Pears, which will suc- 

 ceed without the protection of walls, may be easily obtained 

 by propagating from the seeds of the best and hardiest 

 varieties of Winter Pears that we now possess, and the 

 pollen of the best French Pears : and I have, subsequently, 

 raised several hundred seedling plants, which, by their foli- 

 age and general character, promise the most ample success. 

 Many years must, however, elapse, probably more than I 

 shall live to see, before the greater part of these will produce 

 fruit ; but I trust, that the plants will not be neglected by 

 those to whose care I shall entrust them, and that the pro- 

 duce of some of them will be hereafter honoured by the 

 approbation of the Horticultural Society. 



* Hort. Trans, vol. i. page 279. 



