454 



HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



Beurre, Molletfs Guernsey. — Colour yellowish, 

 green, nearly covered on one side with dark- 

 brown russet in stripes and tracings ; size me- 

 dium; form oval-pyriform, often having a re- 

 markable extension, or prolonged neck of the 

 fruit, where it unites with the stalk ; quality 

 excellent. In use in December. Originated 

 with Charles Mollett, Esq., of Guernsey, and 

 brought into notice by Mr Thomson in 1842. 

 Synonym — Mollett's Guernsey Chaumontelle. 



Beurre Preble. — Size large ; form oblong- 

 ovate ; colour greenish yellow, mottled with 

 russet. In use in October and November. A 

 large and excellent American pear. 



Beurre Ranee. — Colour brownish green; form 

 obovate pyriform; size above medium; quality 

 first-rate. In use from March to May. Bears 

 well as a standard around London, and has at- 

 tained a fair size as such in the gardens at Dal- 

 keith; its great merits, however, claim for it a 

 place on a south wall. The best late pear yet 

 known, and its late keeping renders it truly in- 

 valuable. Synonyms — Beurre de Banz, Beurre 

 de Flandre, Beurre Epine, Hardenpont du Prin- 

 temps. A Flemish variety, raised by M. Harden- 

 pont, of Mons. Mr Downing remarks : " It 

 must be called Beurre de Rans,or Ranz, from the 

 name of the commune in which it was raised, 

 and not ranee (rancid)." 



Beurre Spence. — Regarding this pear there 

 appears no small confusion. All the light Mr R. 

 Thomson, in the third edition of the " Catalogue 

 of Fruit in the Horticultural Society's Garden," 

 throws on it, is, " B. Spence, said to be excellent; 

 but the varieties received under this name have 

 hitherto proved synonymous with other sorts." 

 Downing, in " Fruits and Fruit Trees of Ame- 

 rica," says, " It is probable there may be a true 

 Beurre Spence, since Dr Van Mons claims to 

 have raised one, and has pronounced it the 

 finest of all pears. But it is certain that neither 

 the pomologists of England or America have yet 

 been able to obtain it correct." Mr Rivers, in 

 sending a tree as of this sort to Mr Downing, 

 says, " This is the Beurre Spence of the Pari- 

 sians. I ate it there in October, and thought it 

 simply a good pear, scarcely deserving the high 

 encomiums given by Van Mons to Mr Braddick." 

 Van Mons' original description runs thus : 

 " "Wood short-jointed ; leaves small ; branches 

 horizontal or declining. The fruit is of the shape 

 and size of the Brown beurre ; skin green, 

 handsomely sprinkled, and marked with reddish 

 brown and reddish purple ; flesh tender, juicy, 

 sugary, and perfumed. It ripens about the last 

 of September." — Reoue des Rexues, 1830, p. 180. 

 Mr Rivers, describing the Beurre Spence in his 

 possession in his catalogue, merely says it is of 

 first size; first quality; melting ripe in October; 

 very productive as a standard ; and, in a foot- 

 note, repeats the quotation above. In the 

 " Fruit Catalogue " of Peter Lawson & Son, we 

 have the Beurre Spence of Van Mons thus de- 

 scribed : " First size ; first quality ; obovate ; 

 melting. A fruit that has been much confused; 

 but this is the right sort, according to Van 

 Mons' original description ; ripens in September 

 and October." From the same excellent autho- 

 rity we learn that there is a Beurre Spence cul- 



tivated in the gardens of the Caledonian Horti- 

 cultural Society, which the author thus describes: 

 "First size; first quality; long pyriform; melting. 

 This variety ripens its fruit as a standard. Habit 

 of tree vigorous; young shoots dark and rather 

 upright; fruit of a brownish colour; flesh very 

 rich ; ripe in November and December." No 

 notice is taken of this variety in Lindley's 

 " Guide to the Orchard." If, therefore, the 

 Messrs Lawson's sort be the correct one, and if 

 it is so valuable a variety as Van Mons would 

 make it appear to be, it will be well for culti- 

 vators to apply to that respectable firm for trees. 

 From the intercourse between the bouse of 

 Lawson & Son and foreign pomologists, we have 

 no doubt theirs is the veritable sort. Be it good, 

 bad, or indifferent, it would be a pity to lose 

 sight of a pear Van Mons thought so highly of, 

 for whose opinion we have so high a respect. 



BezideLaMotte. — Colour pale yellowish green, 

 thickly sprinkled with russety dots ; form round- 

 ish, flattened at the eye ; size medium ; quality 

 good. In use in October. An admirable old 

 French variety. Tree exceedingly vigorous and 

 productive, deserving a place in every garden. 

 Synonyms — Bein Armudi, Beurre blanc of 

 Jersey. 



Bleekers meadow. — Size medium ; form round- 

 ish ; colour bright clear yellow, occasionally 

 sprinkled with crimson dots. In use during 

 October and November. Tree hardy, and bears 

 great crops. Of American origin. 



Bonchretien fondant.— Colour greenish brown ; 

 form oblong ; size large ; quality excellent, has 

 a cool refreshing juice, somewhat like the St 

 Germain. The tree is hardy and an excellent 

 bearer. In use in October and November. Suc- 

 ceeds well as a dwarf standard when wrought 

 on the quince stock. 



Brougham. — Colour yellow, agood deal covered 

 with russet ; form roundish obovate ; size large ; 

 quality melting, and of excellent flavour. In 

 use in November. Tree hardy and very produc- 

 tive; succeeds in most places as a standard. 



Buffam. — Size medium ; form oblong obovate; 

 colour deep yellow, turning somewhat reddish 

 towards ripening. In use in September. Origi- 

 nated in Rhode Island, apparently from a seed 

 of the Doyenne. An excellent American orchard 

 pear of the first quality. 



Calebasse.— Colour yellowish russet ; form ob- 

 long ; size medium ; quality good ; flesh crisp and 

 juice sugary. Tree hardy and an abundant 

 bearer. In use in October. Synonyms — Beurre 

 de Payence, Calebasse d'Bollande, Calebasse double 

 extra, Calebasse M usque. 



Chaptal. — Colour brownish ; form obovate ; 

 size large ; quality excellent. In use from De- 

 cember to April. Tree hardy as a standard in 

 most places, and an excellent bearer. 



Chaumontel. — Colour yellowish brown ; form 

 oblong ; size large ; quality first-rate. In use 

 from November to March. Succeeds as a stand- 

 ard in the south of England, but requires a wall, 

 which its great merits entitle it to, in the north, 

 and generally throughout Scotland. It has 

 fruited several years as a standard-trained 

 quenouille, in the garden at Dalkeith ; but al- 

 though high in flavour, and keeping longer than 



