PEAKS. 



201 



fique, and similar varieties. The last-named and Beurre Clairgeau 

 are from foreign sources, so infinitely superior in flavour to the 

 same kinds grown in England, even under the best cultivation, 

 as scarcely to be recognised as the same when compared. On the 

 other hand, however, there are some of our best early Pears, 

 notably the Bon Chretien, which greatly deteriorate in flavour 

 when grown on south or west walls in the southern, western, or 

 midland counties of England. Though doubtless improved in 

 size and appearance, they have really no comparison whatever in 

 flavour and juiciness with similar fruits grown on bush trees or 

 standards. It is a waste of wall-space to plant early kinds, and 

 the best sites and aspects should always be reserved for those later 

 kinds which require some assistance and a long period of growth 

 to develop their most desirable juices, instead of that hard, 

 indigestible grit so commonly met with in late Pears. 



It is possible that a house of very late cordon Pears would 

 be found the best thing, and certainly it would be an interesting 

 novelty to the amateur, and possibly preferable to the bush trees 

 of an orchard-house, especially if cordons were trained close to 

 the glass. Such a house need not be an elaborate or expensive 

 structure ; but it must be artificially heated and abundant venti- 

 lation provided, in order to prevent a damp, stagnant atmosphere, 

 which is almost a worse enemy than frost during the flowering 

 period. Amongst other kinds for this purpose, I should recom- 

 mend Beurre Ranee, Beurre l'lnconnue, Van Mons, Beurre 

 de Jonghe Beurre Diel, Easter Beurre, Marie Benoist, Chau- 

 montel, Knight's Monarch, Bergamotte d'Esperen, and Ne Plus 

 Meuris, all of which in certain seasons fail or are unsatisfactory 

 on our walls, apparently wanting sufficient warmth to thoroughly 

 ripen and develop their qualities. 



The ripening of Pears is of supreme importance, and, in order 

 to assist this operation, it is necessary to maintain a kind of 

 reciprocal balance between root and branch. To better illustrate 

 my meaning, we may fairly accept the theory that the fibrous 

 roots that are to be found near the surface, assisted by the solar 

 warmth of the atmosphere, supply the tree with its fruit-forming 

 requirements, whilst the deeper, gross-feeding roots send up the 

 crude wood-forming elements. With the Quince stock there is 

 no difficulty in securing an abundance of these desirable fibrous 

 roots, and nearly all Pears will either succeed on this stock, or 



