512 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ DecemBer 0, 1888. 
them. They appeared to have made no growth during the past season, 
and were black, brittle, and nearly fibreless. Each Rose, however, had 
roots of its own of a very different character, brown, tough, very 
fibrous, and evidently full of growth, and anyone, I think, on seeing 
them would say that in two more years the Manetti roots would be 
dead, and the Hoses would be on their own roots alone.—W. E. Raillem. 
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER PEARS. 
[A paper read by Mr. George Bunyard at the Horticultural Club.] 
In treating of these delicious fruits I feel that I can add but little to 
what is already known, but a club friend of mine said “Nevermind, 
hammer away at the truth, and it will do some good.” On this assur¬ 
ance I proceed. In my paper on “ October Pears” in 1887, of those then 
named as ripe many are not yet in use, showing how greatly the fruit is 
influenced by the summer weather, and, again, the climate. A little 
further north puts the fruit back two or three weeks, while a warm 
August will forward Pears, so that it is not unusual for January and 
February varieties to ripen in November. A warm cellar or fruit room 
will also bring the later Pears earlier ; one year, therefore, is but little 
guide to the ripening season of another. 
In glancing over other leading nurserymen’s lists I find Marie Louise, 
Durondeau, Emile d’Heyst, Thompson’s, Beurre Hardy, Beurrfi Superfin, 
and Beurrd Bose there treated as November Pears, which with us have 
already been placed as October sorts. None of these were ready early 
in November. Among the remaining thirty the following are fair and 
remarkable for cropping heavily, and cannot be dispensed with in a 
collection, as they frequently bear when those in my special selection 
are not fruiting. These are Van Mons Leon Leclerc, of refreshing 
acidity and very juicy ; Beurre Diel, of rich flavour, but apt to be 
gritty ; Glou Morceau, rather watery and cold, though sometimes A1 
from a warm wall; General Todtleben, very large, but not often first 
class; Duchesse d’Angoulume, rather coarse, but generally fertile; 
Marie Louise d’Uccle, a good bearer and a hardy sort for cold soils, 
sometimes good ; Nouveau Poiteau, very large, melting and delicious, 
though somewhat pasty. It is, however, a free bearer, and if taken 
before too ripe is often first rate. It is green in colour when matured, 
and apt to decay at the core. Passe Colmar, a fine wall Pear, most prolific, 
but has a sugary, clogging, Colmar flavour that I do not admire. It, 
however, is in season for a long time and a sure bearer. Beurrfi Bachelier, 
very large and fine on a wall and on Quince stocks, must not be kept 
long or it becomes insipid. I have eaten this of first quality. 
Triomphe de Jodoigne is again a remarkable cropper and of large size, 
but has that cold watery taste which is not approved. It is yet of value 
as a certain bearer. Alexandre Lambre is a sweet Pear and a great 
bearer. Among the little known, newer, and not yet fully proved 
varieties are Beurre Baltet, which I have eaten as good as Marie Louise ; 
Beurre Dumont, very rich flavour ; Vineuse, large and prolific, some¬ 
times very good ; Madame Leroy and President d’Osmonville (two 
which came into prominence at the 1885 conference). All these will 
probably require a warm situation or a wall. Fondante Shirriott, a 
valuable Pear of the Passe Colmar style, most prolific, is likely to 
prove a valuable addition. 
I now come to the best of winter Pears. Baronne de Mello, a hand¬ 
some small russety fruit of great excellence ; Doyennh du Comice, the 
king of all Pears, and yet unapproached, good either from an open tree 
or as a wall fruit; Beurrd d’Aremberg, most fertile and of delicious full 
flavour, very prolific, but only to be attempted in warm soils ; Conseiller 
de la Cour, a large long fruit, very prolific, of a rich sub-aromatic 
flavour—this does well in cold soils, and is a good grower ; Knight’s 
Monarch, one of the most valuable, as it lasts three or four months in a 
season. I consider the sugary and aromatic Bergamot flavour blended 
in this variety most refreshing and delicious. It succeeds as an open 
tree or on walls (on the Pear by preference). It must be double-worked 
upon the Quince. It has a habit of casting its fruit before it is fully 
ripe, but its virtues condone this fault. 
Winter Nelis is one of our best winter Pears. In the south it is a 
December variety, and if from open trees is often ripe in November, 
while from a wall it keeps longer, even till February. It has a full 
Pear flavour, sweet, juicy, melting, rich, and delicious. It is tender 
on cold soils, and is worthy of the best south-west wall that can be 
found for it. Zephirin Gregoire is a delicious melting fruit about 
Christmas, and a good bearer, rather small. Beurrd de Jonghe is a 
deliciously flavoured kind, and will keep until February. It is, however, 
a slow grower, and seems to require the Pear stock to make a tree. 
Suffolk Thom is most distinct in its aromatic and delicate flavour. 
This is rather Email but cf the first class. Seckle, small and delicious. 
This being of a Gooseberry size, can be put into the mouth whole, and 
thus we get all the juice and aroma. Much flavour is lo6t in peeling off 
the skin. 
I have now gone through my special selection of ten varieties, and 
in passing I would condemn the Brockworth Park, or Bonne d’Ez^e. 
We do not want crisp flavourless Pears for dessert. Urbaniste is- 
delicious, and has a peculiarly rich musky flavour. It bears, however, 
so sparsely that we have long discarded it. The standard of excellence- 
I take to be such Pears as one could peel and offer to an invalid, easily 
digested, refreshing to parched lips, and making a welcome change- 
from the kitchen nick-nacks. 
Root-pruning is absolutely necessary to get first-class fruit of clean 
appearance, good colour, and size, and feeding must be carried out 
liberally. The Rev. W. Wilks’ enormous Pitmastons at the Conference 
were of most delicious flavour and devoid of coarseness and watery 
juice, proving that Pear roots have the digestion of an ostrich, and a. 
chemical laboratory equal to the occasion. Much stress has been laid 
on the reduction of sorts. In my opinion this may be carried too far, 
as Pears of good quality, if not first class, are better than none at all. 
I would advise such sterling varieties as those in my special list to be 
planted in many aspects and situations in duplicate to prolong their 
season. The second Conference at Chiswick proved again the excellence- 
of the Quince stock for Pears, but in soils that are very sandy or dry 
trees on Pear stocks can be relied on to produce good fruit if attention 
is paid to culture, and the roots kept within solar influence by root- 
pruning and lifting, with efficient mulching in June. 
Mr. Wildsmith, in his recent paper at the Conference, named twenty- 
five varieties as the minimum which would keep up a supply for a 
family, and finds himself in a difficulty to supply from twelve only. 
Pears are sometimes kept in too cold a place, when they ripen im¬ 
perfectly, and the chemical changes which take place on maturation, 
are arrested. Mr. Wright at the Conference related how he ripened 
some Josephine de Malines by placing them on the pipes of a green¬ 
house in a box, and this hint might be followed by those who want to- 
fill a gap in their supplies. Stewed Pears are being increasingly appre¬ 
ciated, ami in these days, when doctors forbid pastry, are very useful 
for dyspeptics. The best for early use are Gratioli of Jersey, Gilogil... 
and General Todtleben, and also Triomphe de Jodoigne ; while for later 
use, Catillac, Bellissime d’Hiver, and Uvedale’s St. Germain, alias Belle 
Angevine, will be useful. 1 hope you will excuse this digression, that I 
may call attention to them. 
FORCING LILY OF THE VALLEY. 
I have taken your Journal for a long time and found much 
pleasure in reading it. One of your correspondents writes in the, 
issue of the 8th of November that the Lily of the Valley is one 
of the most difficult of all plants to force in midwinter, and that 
the forcing appliances in most private gardens are not such as-, 
to be able to accomplish it satisfactorily. From the middle of 
December you can see in all the flower shops in Hamburgh, Berlin,. 
Vienna, &c., any quantity of Lily of the Valley, each spray bearing 
from eight to fourteen flowers, which have been forced in market 
gardens. It is the most profitable business during the months of 
December and January ; sometimes it happens the amount forced 
in these two months is more than the demand, therefore the price, 
is less than two months later (in February and March). 
The arrangements of the market gardeners for forcing pur¬ 
poses consist mostly of stone boxes 3 feet broad, 1 to 2 feet deep,, 
just above the hot-water pipes. The bottoms are made of iron bars- 
covered with slate, then they are filled with about 6 inches of sand- 
The crowns are then planted in lines, well watered, and covered 
with glass lids. To keep out the light these must be covered with 
paper or mats. 
The temperature must always be kept at 70°, rising to 90°. 
After three or four weeks, sometimes sooner, the plants begin to 
flower ; then the glass is uncovered, and later on the lids are taken 
away altogether to harden the plants. When the first buds begin 
to open ten to twenty crowns are planted together in 3 to 5-inch 
pots, put in a light place, and after perfect development are brought 
to the market. 
In private gardens these arrangements are seldom to be found, 
although Lilies are required to flower at Christmas. One way is iu 
the propagating pits ; another is to place over the hot-water pipes or 
boiler a wooden box with holes in the bottom, filled with 6 inches 
of moss to keep the air moist ; in this the pots containing the 
crowns are plunged, or you can put sand on the moss and the roots 
in this, and when they begin to flower take them out and place.- 
them in pots. 
