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53

Crasanne Bergamotte

[sketch of pear]

1808
Sept. 3rd

This is a very vigorous growing tree, producing a large quantity of
wood.  The leaves are large, very little indented, and in some degree
curved underneath.  It is called the flat Butter Pear in England.
It is a middle sized fruit, hollow at the crown like an apple, the
stalk long and crooked, the skin rough of a greenish yellow with
a russet cast and full of small black spots.  The flesh is buttery tender
and full of rich sugared juice. It ripens with the Beurré Seckle [Seckel] and
other fine pears among which it holds the highest rank.  In England
it ripens the beginning of November, but several weeks earlier
in America. e.g. N. Jersey.

1810

This season the Crasanes proves as in England to be a late
Fall pear. I did not gather them till I was fearful of injury
from frost, after gathering my winter Apples. The first I eat
tolerably ripe was on the 15th November - the day on which
the last of my Beurre's.
        