October 18,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE Ga^xDENER. 
367 
Princess May, and Mrs. Harman Payne, which, with other old standard 
sorts, should lift him immensely on the exhibition table. 
Mr. Bracegirdle, Elm Hall, VVavertree, has grown 300 plants for 
exhibition, and famous as have been the exhibits here in days gone by, 
they ought to be none the less under the present able management. 
The Princess types are exceptionally good in comparison with others, 
so are the Queens, Brookleigh Gem, Madame Frederic Mistral, Alfred 
Lyne, and Baron Hirsch. The Japanese are showing fine buds of much 
promise, particularly good being Mrs. Harman Payne, Excelsior, Charles 
Davis, Golden Gate, Miss Dorothea Shea, Mdlle. Th^rfese Rey, Mdlle. 
Jeanne Rey, Waban, Lord Brooke, and Robert Owen. 
We have this season about 320 plants grown for exhibition at Blacklow 
House, Roby, and they are looking well in every respect. All the 
Queen family are promising, having been propagated late, and the 
majority of the plants pinched in March. Baron Hirsch, Mrs. Jno. 
Gardiner, Lord Rosebery, Mr. J. Kearn, and Mrs. W. Peto are good 
amongst the new ones. The Princess types and Tecks are in excellent 
time. The newer Japanese contain many good varieties, though some 
are rather late. Rose Wynne, Wm. Bolia, W. H. Atkinson (which 
promises to be very fine), Primrose League, Robert Owen, Mdlle. Thdrese 
Rey, Mrs. E. D. Adams, Lord Brooke, Miss Dorothea Shea, Duke of York, 
Mrs. Bruce Findlay, Cecil Wray, Chas. Blick, and Miss Sylvia Shea are 
the best at present; Anemones and Reflexed are good also. Next week I 
hope to visit some of the older exhibitors, but who are yet invincible at 
exhibiting, and shall probably obtain some information regarding the 
ripening of Chrysanthemum wood, and whether the full sunshine is 
detrimental to their flowering or otherwise.—R. P. R. 
THE ABNORMAL CROP OF PEARS, 1894. 
[A Paper read at the Horticultural Olub, October 9th, 1894.] 
The cause of the unusual crop of Pears this season is not far to seek. 
Pears did not carry much fruit in 1893, and the exceptionally dry and 
warm season ripened the wood thoroughly, while the autumnal rains 
plumped up the fruit buds and completed the laying up of organic 
forces, and the trees were prepared to do their best. They were 
somewhat early in bloom, and thus escaped the severe frosts that 
occurred while the Apples were in blossom, and as for the most part 
the blossoms are pendent, the stigmas were less exposed than Apples. 
Thinning had to be seen to very early, and many of our trees required 
nine out of ten of the fruit which had set to be removed at the flrst 
thinning, and twice since that they have been gone over. 
The very cold nights and wet days of May and June caused many 
to drop, as they were unable under these conditions to progress, and 
it is noticeable that the fruit near the ground was much affected by spot 
(Cladosporium dendritichum pyrinum). This fungus hardens the skins, 
and when the fruit swells it cracks and becomes useless. It is evidently 
risky to try and grow such Pears as Easter Beurr4, Bergamotte Esperen, 
Glou Mor^eau, Passe Colmar, Winter Nelis, Beurrd Bachelier, and 
Beurr6 Diel, while Beurr6 d’Amanlis, otherwise than on a wall, even 
in our favoured part of England, has not been good this year. 
On the other hand we attribute the clean handsome fruit of the late 
sorts, viz., Duchesse de Bordeaux, Doyennd d’Alengon, Marie Benoist, 
Beurr4 Du Buissou, Josephine de Malines, Olivier de Serres, Passe 
Crasanne, Beurr6 d’Anjou, President d’Osmonville, and Brown Beurr^, 
Baronne de Mello, and Duchesse d’Angoul^me among autumn Pears are 
unusually clean, thanks to the well ripened wood of 1893. It is 
evident we ought to thin out the branches of our pyramidal and espalier 
Pears in the open more than we do to get high class fruit on these trees, 
and we must not be led away by the flne examples of such a year as 1893, 
when the tender Pears were superb in quality if somewhat out of season, 
for the kinds which ripen after Christmas were mostly over by 
November. 
Taken as a whole, the season of 1894 has been unfavourable to the 
production of clean, handsome, large Pears, and it may probably be 
well to note those that have been good this cold, wet season. These 
were :—Beacon, a really good fruit, led off the season. This is a 
remarkable bearer, and if not left on the tree too long is quite fair as 
regards flavour. Clapp’s Favourite has been large, clean, and handsome. 
Williams’ Bon Chretien has also been large and good, but rather 
spotty, and in beauty cannot approach Dr. Jules Guyot, which is 
gaining favour rapidly as a market fruit. Petite Marguerite will be one 
of our best August and September Pears. It is of Bergamot shape, and 
very sweet and pleasant. Fondante d’Automne is not so large as usual, 
but as good in quality as ever. Pitmaston Duchess is very large and 
good. This monster Pear is much improved in flavour if it is gathered 
before it is quite fit and laid by. Beurr4 Hardy is grand this season, 
and the crop is the heaviest we have seen. The clean fruit of this 
variety from California in the shops in September were remarkable. 
Louise Bonne and Marie Louise are not so good as usual, the weather 
being too wet and cold for these sorts. Our favourite Pear, Emile 
d’Heyst, is flner than ever. It is a pity people do not plant this in place 
of Marie Louise; its pleasant acidity would be greatly appreciated. 
Mar^chal de Cour has the best crop ever seen, and the perfumed 
flavour of this kind will always make it welcome. It does well on the 
Quince in cold soils. Beurr6 Bose is not bearing well this year. An 
orchard tree has a quarter of a crop, but the fruit will be small. Beurr4 
Jean Van Geert is very handsome, and a free bearer, not yet ripe. The 
red flush on the sunny side will be admired on the dessert table, 
Beurr4 Superfln is small, but a good crop. This may be called an 
improved Marie Louise. Doyenne Boussoch is very flne on pyramids, 
and quite clear and good. Doyenn6 du Comice has rather irregular 
fruit owing to the season, but a good crop, and will yet grow to size. 
Among the new Pears which have been good are Marguerite 
Marrillat, a monster fruit, ripening in September ; of delicious flavour, 
melting, and altogether Al, and will take a high position. It bears 
freely and grows grandly. Beurrd Mortillet is another very fine kind, 
ripening in September ; of an unsightly shape, being, so to speak, like a 
Malta Fig, and generally one-sided, but superfine in flavour. Rivers’" 
Conference is a grand bearer, and the long russety fruit is most elegant, 
while the flavour is very flne ; the habit of the tree is perfect, and it will 
certainly rank Al. Beurr^ Fouqueray makes a fine cordon, and is 
giving us a little fruit, but not yet ripe to report on. It is hardier than 
Beurr^ Bachelier, and will probably supersede it. Triomphe de Vienne- 
is again grand ; an enormous bearer, and of fine quality, juicy, and very 
handsome, being long and russety. Comte de Chambord is a fine bearer 
(on Pear stock only) of the Swan’s Egg type, very rich, and of Bergamot 
flavour. Beurrd Baltet Pere is again grand ; it ranks Al for a close¬ 
growing kind, and is large, juicy, and good. Fondante de Thirriott has 
enormous crop of clean fruit; a grand, little known Pear for November. 
It should be borne in mind that my remarks refer to Pears quite in the 
open— i.e., not on walls or fences or under glass culture, as for all 
practical purposes this is the largest culture. Another reliable Pear for 
general culture is Belle Julie, small, but a great bearer, and of first-class 
flavour. Stewing Pears are all good, but the very large sorts—Gross© 
Calebasse, King Edward, General Todtleben, Beurr4 Clairgeau—are 
scarcely so fine as usual. 
A host of better known Pears has necessarily been passed over, but 
it is probable that we may be years before we see fruit of such a large 
collection. About 200 kinds have fruited this year, and we shall be 
able to gain much useful information when they have all been tested. 
We feel no doubt that, good as the 1894 crop is, we owe it more to the 
sun of 1893 than to any weather we have had this year. We are fruiting^ 
several novelties which may be noticed hereafter, but as a general rule 
planters cannot do better than keep to the varieties which are now 
named, as if good in a cold, sunless, and wet season, they will be grand 
when old father Sol is more propitious. For the poet truly says o£ 
him 
“ Hail! Life-giving soul of creation 
# * 
Source of Fertility, Diffuser of Eadiance.” 
fit + » * 
As may be expected the Pears on the water-loving Quince stock have 
come to the front this year, while the same kinds on Pear stocks show 
many spotted leaves, but on both stocks they appear to have made 
ample provision for next season’s fruit. 
A word as to orchard Pears. Generally the crop has been enormous, 
and low prices have ruled. We sold 50 to 60 bushels of Hessel on the 
trees for 25s., for the town dwellers will have cheap Pears, and 
wise growers will severely thin the boughs of their trees as soon as 
picked, or they will not get a return for many years after the trees have 
endured such a strain. 
Before concluding this skeleton paper our hearers may be as surprised 
as the reader to learn that in an old book (1650) entitled “ The Spirituall 
Dse of a Garden of Fruit Trees,” the writer recommends grafting the 
Quince on the Pear stock for standards ; while in another ancient book 
(1757) “ Eden, or a compleat book of Gardening, by John Hill,” p. 514, 
of which we possess a complete folio copy, the author states that, 
“ The Quince stock agrees very well with Pears, and should be chosen 
for those kinds which are melting.” He also recommends it for espaliers 
and bushes, and this agrees with our practice to-day, as the gritty and 
crisp Pears are not so satisfactory on the Quince stock. The practice 
of working Pears on the Quince would therefore appear to be more 
ancient than is generally supposed.— George Bunyaed, Maidstone. 
CATALPAS AS ORNAMENTAL TREES. 
Although so badly crippled by the May frosts seldom if ever before 
has such a display been seen as on Catalpa trees generally, and during: 
their flowering period they certainly afford an ornamental aspect to the 
pleasure ground or park when in a thriving condition. Many plants and 
shrubs possessing less beauty in their flowers claim a place in the con¬ 
servatory and greenhouse, and the wonder is the Catalpas are not more 
frequently planted where specimen trees are appreciated on the lawn.. 
Standing alone or in company with evergreen trees of large size, not too 
closely adjoining, the foliage of the Catalpa is very striking, both on 
account of its size and delicate shade of colour. The trees are very late 
before starting into growth in spring, and for this reason I have more 
than once heard it repeated that when these trees unfold their leaves it 
may be considered safe to commence the summer bedding. True as this 
might have been in some past years it was not so in 1894, as many found 
to their cost, tender plants and hardy shrubs being crippled most 
severely, and at one time I scarcely thought it possible for the trees to 
bloom this year at all. Very little foliage was visible at mid-June, and 
it is surprising that such luxuriant foliage and abundant blossom could 
have developed after so late a date, and seeing what extent of damage 
was done in May. The tree assumes a spreading more than an upright 
habit of growth, and is or ought to be the more valuable on that account, 
