HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 179 
stantly and naturally as phosphate of lime in the gelatinous tissue of the 
bones of animals. In the Pear, on the contrary, there is no special jjart 
set aside for the reception of the grit, which manifests itself accidentally 
here and there among the soft flesh, sometimes in large and sometimes in 
small quantities. In fact, in the Pear the grittiness may be regarded as an 
unnatural secretion, induced by unknown causes, while in stone fruits it is 
part and parcel of their nature. 
We say induced by unknown causes, for we are not aware that any 
attempt has been made to show out of what circumstances the grittiness 
arises, or by what it is diminished or prevented. We are now, however, assured 
that it is entirely owing to the exposure of the Pear fruit to too much cold. 
It appears that on the 16th of last November, Mr. A. Delaville, gardener 
at the Chateau de Fitz James, near Clermont (Oise), exhibited before the 
Imperial Horticultural Society of Paris, some St. Germain Pears, a part 
of which were covered with spots and full of grittiness, while the others 
were remarkable for their beauty, and wholly exempt from grittiness. We 
are assured that both samples came from the same tree, and that the only 
difference consisted in the fine ones having been protected, while the others 
had been exposed to the weather without any shelter. In fact, M. Dela- 
ville is of opinion that the external spots and the internal grittiness were 
wholly caused by the cold rain which had fallen on the fruit during its 
growth, and had arrested the free circulation of sap. 
With reference to this hypothesis, he remarks that the sorts which are 
most subject to spotting [tavelage] and grittiness are those which have the 
finest skin, such as the St. Germain, Crasanne, Brown Beurrd, and Winter 
Bonchretien. The effect of aspect also supports this view, it being noto- 
rious that the affections in question are most common with Pears on open 
standards or exposed to the east and south, the quarters whence (at Cler- 
mont) the coldest rains always come. 
The manner in which M. Delaville protects his Pears is thus described : — 
As soon as the fruit is completely set he encloses every cluster in a cornet 
. of paper, fixed to the top of the stock by a piece of rush (bast). This cor- 
net must be large enough to cover all the upper part, so as to guard the 
fruit perfectly from the direct action of exterior agencies. If a tree is 
trained to a wall the same degree of protection is not necessary, because 
the wall affords a natural shelter on one side, but where pyramid or other 
openly trained trees have to be dealt with, the cornet must be very wide, 
and the small end placed upwards, so as to leave nothing uncovered except 
the bottom of the fruit stalk. 
These cornets remain in their places during the whole season, and are not 
