317 



41 



straight or flexuose, stout or slender, pyramidal or 

 round-headed, compact or open. The value of a 

 good habit is well appreciated by the nurseryman 

 who has endeavored to raise trees of an otherwise 

 fine variety, of slender, straggling, almost pendu- 

 lous growth, and, after great pains, succeeds in pro- 

 ducing only a tolerable tree ; while others natu- 

 rally take such beautiful and symmetrical forms as 

 at once give pleasure to the beholder. Not only is 

 a crooked, straggling growth undesirable, but an 

 erratic tendency to throw out a single strong shoot 

 on one side of the tree, as in the Kostiezer or 

 Andrews Pear, is to be avoided. It may be re- 

 marked, however, that a tree of drooping habit, 

 such as the Marie Louise and Winter Nelis Pears, 

 when grafted high, frequently exhibits a beauty of 

 its own, hke the weeping ornamental trees which 

 adorn our lawns ; but the true type of the Pear- 

 tree is pyramidal, and of this the Urbaniste is a 

 beautiful and perfect example. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FRUIT. 



To the question, What are the points of a good 

 fruit ? we answer : first, the best quality ; second, 

 durability, or the property of remaining sound 

 after being gathered ; third, size ; fourth, color ; 

 fifth, form ; though I regard the last two as of 

 neaily equal importance. 



So long as we raise fruit to eat, we can have no 

 hesitation in giving the first place to its eating 

 qualities. No combination of other properties, 

 however valuable, can atone for any considerable 

 deficiency in this respect. Texture, juice, flavor, 

 aroma join to determine the quality. 



Next in importance to quality is durability, or 

 keeping ; by which I do not mean late ripening, 

 but the property, whether early or late, of remain- 

 ing sound after being gathered. A habit of decay- 

 ing at the core is a very great fault in a fruit ; and, 

 for market, one which can be ripened in the house 

 is much more valuable than one which, to be 

 eaten in perfection, must be ripened on the tree, as 

 is the case with the Rostiezer and other Pears of 

 the Rousselet family, the Early Harvest and Wil- 

 liams Apples. 



The third requisite, size, is at once obvious. One 

 of the highest flavored new Pears is Dana's Hovey, 

 but its value would be many times multiplied could 

 its size be doubled and its luscious character re- 

 tained. Yet, while we seek for large fruit in pre- 

 ference to small, we should not forget that a fruit 

 may be too large for table use. We have but one 

 dessert Pear of the size of the Duchesse d'Angou- 

 leme, and, perhaps, one is enough. But whether 

 the size is large or small, it should be uniform. 



Beauty of color and form, though less im- 

 portant than the preceding points, are still of great 

 value, and, all other things being equal, that fruit 

 which possesses them will justly receive the pre- 

 ference. The best colored Pears are those with a 

 brilliant red cheek, next to this comes a golden or 

 cinnamon russet, then j^ellow, and last green. 



Beauty of form has been less regarded than 

 color, but a moment's observation will show its im- 

 portance. Some pears are so beautiful in the 

 curves which form their outlines as at once to at- 

 tract and please the eye, while others are entirely 

 unprepossessing, if not positively ugly. The Beurre 

 Bosc is the most perfect example of the former; 

 and it is not only beautiful in itself, but pleases us 

 as being the true Pear type. After the pyriform 

 comes the Doyenne type ; and between the two we 

 have all gradations, which are desirable in propor- 

 tion as they approach the former. Next to the 

 Doyenne is the Bergamot ; then comes the globu- 

 lar ; then the ovate, tapering towards the eye ; and 

 when this is conjoined with a knobby substance, it 

 is worst of all. 



These views are not put forth as by any means 

 an exhaustive discussion of the subject, but rather 

 as suggesting what might be done. My illustra- 

 tions have been drawn chiefly from the Pear, be- 

 cause that fruit has been the study of my life ; 

 but what has been said will apply to the Apple, 

 with little change ; while, in the application of the 

 same principle to the Strawberry or the Grape, we 

 should reach a very different result. Perhaps you 

 may deem it well, by committee or otherwise, to 

 pursue the subject, and to establish a standard of 

 excellence in all the different classes of fruit. Per- 

 mit me also to repeat the recommendation that we 

 should institute, for our guidance, "Rules of Po- 

 mology," similar to those some years ago adopted 

 by many horticultural societies. 



PRESERVATION AND RIPENING OF FRUIT. 



I have recommended to your attention fruit- 

 houses, built on scientific principles, for the pre- 

 servation and ripening of fruit ; but though these 

 are of undoubted value, it is still more desirable to 

 secure varieties that will keep and mature without 

 such costly and elaborate structures as, though 

 within the means of the wealthy amateur, are be- 

 yond the reach of the million. 



One of the greatest hindrances to the keeping of 

 winter fruits is the warm weather often experi- 

 enced soon after they are gathered. An efl^ectual 

 method of overcoming this difficulty would be of 

 the greatest value to cultivators ; and it is hoped 



