898 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



NOVEMBEE. 23, 1912 



and excellent in flavour. Owing to its free- 

 dom in cropping^ even in a young state, and 

 its bright colour, it shoulu prove a profit- 

 able market variety. 



St. Everard (J. Veitch and Sons). 



This is said to be the finest flavoured early 

 dessei-t apple in cultivation. The fruit is 

 of medium size, with crimson skin nearly 

 covered with russet ; the flesh yellow, crisp, 

 juicy, and with an aromatic flavour. 



William Crump (W. C7"ump). 



A distinct dessert apple of so high a 

 degree of excellence as to be worthy ot the 

 name it bears. The variety was raised from 



a cross effected between Cox's Orange l^ip- 

 pin and Worcester JVarmain, and the fruits 

 nave fnuch the appearance of those of the 

 latter, both in shape and colour. It is of 

 much higher quality than Worcester Pear- 

 main, the flavour being intermediate be- 

 tween that of the two parents. It is later, 

 and has a much longer season than the last- 

 named, the fruit keeping well into the New 



Year, E. Molyneux. 



early stage for the purpose of preventing 

 them becoming crowded. The precaution 

 was taken to provide stations ot sufficient 

 diameter to allow the roots to be spread 

 out horizontally, the soil was carefully 

 filled in about them, and trodden as firmly 

 as possible. Then, to prevent loosening 

 of tne soil about the roots, the trees weic 

 stK:urely fastened to stout stakes that had 

 been driven into the ground previous to 

 their 'being planted. 



The original selection has been modified 

 somewhat since the plantation was formed, and the ^A^^h 

 and the following are those which can, ac- 

 cording to my experience, be the most 



BUSH PEAR TREES. 



Some niteen years shk.', wnen lorming heavy cropper, in season during September, 

 a new garden in one ot the home counties i i ° ^ 



^ ^ recommended 



The Best Pears for Bush 



Culture. 



lieurre d'Amanlis. — x\lthough not equal 

 in flavour to some other of the early dessert 

 pears it is decidedly good, and snould be 

 included in a selection exceeding twelve 

 varieties. The fruit is large and of good 

 appearance, the skin green and usually 

 Hushed witn red on the siide next the sun. 

 rhe growth is rather -spreading,, and the 

 tree with but little manipulation forms a 

 handsome bush, and is a constant and 



no occasion to dwell upon its merits. It 

 must, however, be said that it is one of 

 the very finest of the autumn pears, and 

 should be planted more largely than any 

 other pear of its season. Four trees were 

 planted when my plantation was formed, 

 but sinc^e then the number lias been iu! 

 ■jreased to six, to take the place of some 

 indifferent varieties that were -banished, 

 and even now the supply is not more than 

 sufficient to meet the demands of the house- 

 hold. TTie fruit is large and handsome, 



is melting and richly fla- 

 voured. The severe thinning that is recom- 

 mended by some writers is not advisable, 

 as medium-sized fruits are more suitable for 



north of London, i set apart a space for 

 the cultivation of fifty pear trees in bush 

 lorni, and in twenty-four varieties. A 

 rather open position, with a southern slope, 

 was selected as the site for the plantation, 

 and, knowing the susceptibility of the pear 

 blossom to the injurious effects of easterly 

 winds, a row of spruce firs was planted 

 outside the boundary on the east side to 

 break the force of these winds, and the 

 screen thus formed has had a most benefi- 

 cial effect in promoting the productiveness 

 of the trees. 



The soil is a moderately strong loam 

 to a depth of about eighteen inches, and 

 this rests upon stronger soil, closely ap- 

 proaching brick earth, but it dcK^s not form 



Beurre ijriffard. — A medium-si^ied pear of 

 excellent quality, ripening in August. The 

 fruits have a bright yellow ;Skin, marked 

 with deep red, and the flesh is white, juicy^ 

 and rather sweet. It succeeds best with me 

 on the quince, and planters will do well to 

 have theu' trees on that stocky unless tieir 

 soil is light and naturally poor. 



Beurre I' ouqueray. — An excellent variety, 

 the fruit of good shape and with light green 

 skin, the tiesh white, juicy, and richly 

 tiavoured. In season during October, ana 



dessert, and the quality is higher than in 

 the case of the large fruits. The growth 

 should be repressed when necessary by root- 

 pruning, and when the trees are heavily 

 cropped a mulching of partly-decayed 

 manure will be of great assistance. In 

 season during November. 



Jules Guyot. — This may, perhaps, be best 

 described as an improved Williams' Bon 

 Chretien. The fruit is large and hand- 

 some, the skill being rich yellow, and the 

 flesh melting and of good flavour. As in 

 the case of the variety immediately preced- 

 ing, fruits of medium size are preferable. 

 It is a heavy cropper, and the fruit should 

 be gathered before it is fully ripe. In 



season during September. 

 Emile d'Heyst.— A rather 



la.rge and 



tne fruits should be i^eni to table before November. 



handsome pear, which has a good consti- 

 tution, as evidenced by the satisfactory con- 

 dition of trees that I have seen in Northern 

 gardens. The fruits are shapely, the skiu 

 is rich yellow, and the flesh straw colour, 

 melting, and richly flavoured. This variety 

 is one of the most regular croppers in my 

 plantation, and the tree forms an excellent 

 bush. In season during October and 



they have bcK^ome over ripe, as they de- 

 teriorate in flavour rather quickly after they 

 nave attained maturity. The tree makes 

 a capital bush, and is very productive. 



Josephine de Malines.— A distinct, hardy, 

 and productive variety. The fruits are of 

 medium size, the skin pale green, marked 

 with russet, the flesh melting, juicy, and 



a very thick layer. My haA-ing a soil so Beurre Perran.— A distmct and excellent richly flavoured. The growth is somewhat 



favourahle to the growth of pears has, of peiiv, which was introduced to cultivation 

 course been a great advantage, for it has 



^ ^ duced 

 maintain the trees in the best possible con- 

 dition, and enabled the trees to bring their 

 fruits to a high degree of perfection. Pos- 

 sibly we have not had to devote one-half 

 the labour that is occasioned by trees grow- 

 ing in poor, gravelly soil or those so 

 tenacious in texture and cold that 



nearly twenty years ago, but does not ap- 

 pear to be nuu n grown. It was added to 

 my plantation eleven or twelve years ago, 

 and it has given an excellent return. The 

 fruits are aoove medium-size, and the skin 

 is brown, and nearly covered with russet 

 when borne by trees in the open, the tiesh 

 is greenish-wiaite, juicy, and richlv tia- 



111 



ed 



unfavourable seasons the 

 their w^ood, and produce 

 flower buds. 



richly 



In season during February. 



Knowing the difficulties some of my 

 friends experienced in reducing the vigour 

 of the trees sufiiciently to bring them into 

 bearing, owing to the ground having been 

 heavily manured previous to planting 

 no manure was applied in the preparatory 

 stage. I was further encouraged to refrain 

 from the use of manure until after the trees 

 had become established by the advice you 

 have given on more than one occasion on 

 this important point. The ground was pi e- 

 pared by the process of what is knoM ii as 

 bastard trenching, and thereby broken up 

 to a depth of two feet without any of the 



soil from the second spit being market, and the flavour is remarkable for 

 brought to the surface. 



All the trees were on the quince stor-k, 

 and were, at the time of planting, two and 

 three years old. They had been traine<l into 

 shape before leaving the nursery, a point 

 of some importance when intended foi- tho 

 gardens of amateurs. They were planted 

 eitzht feet apart in rows, "with nino-foet 

 spar^^s I)f4ween them, and these spaces wew 

 given with a view to obviating the 

 ner* >sit y for the freo use of the knife at an 



Beurre Superfin may be described as one 

 of the finest pears of its season for bush 

 culture. The fruits are large and shapely, 

 with pale green skin when ripe, freely 

 marked with patches of russet; the flesh is 

 white and richly flavoured. In season dur- 

 ing October and November. 



Charles Ernest.— A useful variety, not 

 unlike in general appearance Souvenir du 



s 



strong 



Congres, The fruits are large, with a white 

 juicy, and richly-flavoured fle>>h. With me 

 it bears most satisfactory crops, and is in 

 season during December and January, when 

 first-class pears are of much value. 



Conference.— One of the best of the 

 autumn pears, for tlie tree is so heavy a 

 cropper as to render it of much value for 



Th 



the tree, while making a fine hush can be 

 readily converted into a handsome pyramid. 

 The fruits are large, distinctly pyriform 

 with green skin nearly covered with cinna- 

 mon-coloure<l russet. This variety is one of 

 the most productive of the pears iii my plan- 

 tation. In use during October and Nov- 



erect, and the tree forms a handsome bush, 

 and bears with great regula-rity. In season 

 from January till March, the length of time 

 over which the fruit may be had in perfec- 

 tion depending an some degree upon the 

 season. 



Louise Bonne of Jersey.— Combining a 

 hardy constitution with productiveness 

 and high quality^ this old and well-known 

 pear cannot be too strongly irecommended 

 for cultivation in bush form. A description 

 of the fruit would be superfluous, and all 

 that need he said is to state that it is hand- 

 some and of high quality. The tree makes 

 a fine bush and a handsome pyramid. In 

 eason during October. 



Marguerite Marillat. — An excellent pear 

 that well deserves more extended culture, 

 although it attains maturity at a time when 

 there are so many other good varieties m 

 season. The tree is upright in growth, and 

 makes a handsome bush, and is highly pro- 

 ductive when on the quince stock, and on 

 this stock it should he worked for bush 

 culture. The fruits are large and hand- 

 some, the skin is bright yellow, flushed with 

 red when ripe, and the flesh is melting and 

 richly flavoured. The fruits should not be 

 thinned too freely, as those of medium size 

 are preferable. In season early in October. 



Olivier de Serres.— Valuaible for the late 

 period of the pear season in which it is 

 available for the table. The tree is rather 



ood 



the fruits are rather small, with greenish- 

 yellow skin, nearly covered with brown 

 usset 



Dnvi^nn^Wn rw • - russot the flesh is juicy and richly fla- 



n rnnfl^^^^^^^^^ r?'' ^ ?^ ^^"^^^i* In season during the first three 



known and highly appreciated that there i 



months of the year. 



W. H. H. 



