THE PEAR. 



459 



son, in "Fruit Cat. Hort. Soc," No. 339, as 

 merely a synonym of the common Passe Colmar. 

 Mr Rivers says, in " Descriptive List of Pears," 

 p. 4, " It is the better variety of the two, quite 

 distinct. Those fruits which are exposed are of 

 a rather bright red on the sunny side. The Col- 

 mar gris, unripe, is of a uniform grey, and, when 

 ripe, not so yellow as the preceding. Both varie- 

 ties bear abundantly as standards on the pear 

 stock, but do not ripen their fruit kindly at 

 Sawbridgeworth. On the quince they succeed 

 well." This is by no means an uncommon re- 

 sult in the case of many other pears, and the 

 more unfavourable the situation, the more ob- 

 vious is the case. 



Petre. — Colour pale yellow, slightly marked 

 with russet towards the eye ; form obovate ; 

 size about medium ; quality excellent. In use 

 in October, and if gathered before fully ripe will 

 keep some weeks. This is an American pear of 

 the highest excellence. The original tree, Down- 

 ing informs us, is still growing in the old Bertram 

 Botanic Garden, near Philadelphia. It appears 

 to have originated from a seed received by the 

 elder John Bertram from Lord Petre of Essex, 

 in 1735, who, in twenty-five years afterwards, 

 received fruit of this tree, which he pronounced 

 superior to the tree from whence the seed had 

 been taken. Tree moderate in growth, and an 

 excellent bearer. 



Princes Saint Germains. — Colour greenish, co- 

 vered with a brownish russet, the side next the 

 sun turning dull red as it approaches maturity; 

 form obovate, somewhat inclining to oval ; size 

 medium. In use from November till March. 

 An American pear, originated from a seed of 

 Saint Germain panachee, or Striped Saint Ger- 

 mains, but much superior to it. It is a very 

 hardy tree, and an excellent bearer ; keeps well, 

 and esteemed superior to the old St Germain. 

 Synonym — New St Germain. 



Saint Germain. — Colour yellowish green and 

 brown ; form pyramidal ; size large ; quality 

 excellent. In use from November to January. 

 An old French variety, long cultivated in our 

 gardens ; requires a wall in most situations, 

 and is a healthy tree, and abundant bearer. 

 Synonym — Saint Germain Gris, Saint Ger- 

 main Jaune — names evidently arising from the 

 colour of the fruit in different stages of its 

 existence. 



Seckel. — Colour brownish red ; form obovate ; 

 size small ; quality excellent. In use in October. 

 Another American pear of great merit, well 

 adapted to European culture ; an excellent bear- 

 er, having a peculiarly rich aroma, with a honied 

 sweetness. Synonym — New York red-cheek, Red 

 cheeked Seckel. A very curious account of the 

 supposed origin of this pear is given by Down- 

 ing, page 415 of his interesting work on the 

 " Fruits and Fruit Trees of America." Grafted 

 on the apple, this excellent pear has been much 

 improved in size, but not equally improved in 

 flavour. If it is one of the very best of the 

 American pears, it is, we should think, one of the 

 most ugly in appearance. Although it succeeds 

 well in many parts of Britain, it has never 

 attained maturity at Dalkeith. 



Swan's egg. — Colour greenish brown ; form 



obovate ; size under medium ; quality good ; 

 the best of our hardy standard pears, ripening 

 in most parts of Scotland, and an abundant 

 bearer. Trees apt to grow very tall. In use in 

 October. 



Thomson's. — Colour pale yellow; form obo- 

 vate ; size medium ; quality excellent. In use 

 in November. Flavour resembling the Passe 

 Colmar, exceedingly rich. Tree hardy, and bears 

 well as a standard in most gardens. 



Vicar of Winhfield.— Colour greyish brown 

 and red ; form pyramidal ; size very large ; qua- 

 lity good. In use from November to January. 

 Tree hardy, and a good bearer, but most es- 

 teemed on account of its large size. Of French 

 origin, being discovered a few years since grow- 

 ing naturally in the woods of Clion by a French 

 curate, whence it obtained the names of Le Cure, 

 or Monsieur le Cure. It was soon thereafter 

 imported into England by the late Rev. Mr 

 Rham, vicar of Winkfield in Berkshire, and 

 hence that name also. The other synonyms 

 are — Pumas, Bourgermester, incorrectly of Bos- 

 ton ; and Kenrick, an American pomologist, has 

 called it Clion. 



Van Moris' Leon le Clcrc. — Colour yellowish, 

 nearly covered with a brownish russet; form 

 oblong ovate ; size large ; quality very good. 

 In use in October and November. This fine 

 pear originated with M. Leon le Clerc, an ama- 

 teur cultivator of Laval, in France. This must 

 not be confounded with Leon le Clerk, described 

 in our list of culinary pears. 



Comparatively new or recently introduced des- 

 sert pears. — Abele de St Denis. — Size large ; qua- 

 lity excellent ; succeeds well on the quince 

 stock in forming a pyramidal tree, and where 

 there is room to spare deserves a wall. 



Beau Present d'Artois. — Size large ; quality 

 good, half melting. In use during September. 

 Tree very hardy, and succeeds well on the 

 quince, either as a standard or pyramid, in 

 either case bearing abundantly. 



Belle Hugemne. — Size large ; quality excel- 

 lent, and fruit handsome. In use during March 

 and April. Tree very hardy, succeeding well 

 on the quince stock. 



Belle apres Noel (Esperen). — About the size, 

 and something of the shape, of a moderate- 

 sized cressane ; colour bright yellow, red on the 

 sunny side ; very handsome ; rich and high- 

 flavoured. Tree rather of slender growth, yet 

 an abundant beai'er. In use from the middle of 

 December to middle of January. Lately brought 

 into notice by Mr Rivers. 



Bergamotte d' 'Esperen. — Size small, somewhat 

 resembling the Autumn Bergamotte; quality 

 excellent. In use during April and May. Suc- 

 ceeds well on the quince stock. 



Beurre Andusson. — Size medium; quality 

 good, and very handsome. In use in November. 

 Tree hardy, and succeeds well, and bears abun- 

 dantly as a pyramid on the quince. 



Beurre Bretonneau. — Size large ; quality ex- 

 cellent. Tree hardy, and succeeds well on the 

 quince, double-worked, and is very prolific as a 

 pyramid. In use during May and June. 



Beurre Brissic. — Size medium ; quality excel- 

 lent ; form obtuse. In use in March and April. 



