Varieties of Fruits. 



519 



Specimens of the Marie Louise Pear were received from 

 Roger Wilbraham, Esq. the produce of atree in his gar- 

 den at Twickenham, trained to a south wall, which is, however, 

 much shaded with trees ; it is known to succeed equally well 

 on an east wall. This Pear, which has already been noticed 

 in the Society's Transactions* has far exceeded the highest 

 expectations which had been formed of it. Its general form 

 is like that of the Saint Germain, but tapering less towards 

 the stalk. The skin is of a greenish yellow, deepening where 

 exposed to the sun, or when full ripe, to a rich yellow clouded 

 with light brown russet. Stalk generally an inch and a half 

 long, pale brown. Flesh inclining to yellow, perfectly melt- 

 ing, with abundance of sweet juice. The annexed figure, 

 from a drawing by Mr. Charles John Robertson, will 

 convey a very perfect idea of this excellent and beautiful Pear. 

 In favourable situations, however, it attains to a much larger 

 size, being sometimes five inches long, and three inches wide, 

 and weighing eight ounces. Its period of maturity is from 

 the middle of October to the middle of November, according 

 to the place of its growth : those received from Mr. Wil- 

 braham having ripened on the 17th of October, and some 

 which were received from Mr. Knight, not till the 15th of 

 November ; but these last were produced in the climate of 

 Downton, which is very inferior to that of Middlesex. This 

 is one of the numerous seedlings which have been raised 

 within a few years in the Netherlands. The first specimens 

 received by the Society came from Dr. Van Mons when he 

 resided at Brussels, and grafts and plants were obtained from 

 his garden there, and subsequently from that of the Count 



* Vol. ii. page 406, and Vol. iii. page 120. 

 VOL. IV. 3 X 



