X OYEMBEE. 
253 
almost entirely covered with thin, delicate, grey russet, and thickly strewed 
with russety dots. Eye large and open, full of stamens, with a dry mem¬ 
branous calyx, which is plaited, but not divided, and covered with a white 
criist. Stalk inch long, fleshy at the 
base, and obliquely inserted with scarcely 
any depression. Flesh yellowish, buttery, 
juicy, perfumed, and excellent. 
A Scotch dessert Pear, ripe in August 
and September. 
The tree is a free-grower, and an 
immense bearer, so much so that the 
branches have to be propped up during 
the fruit season. 
This is a very excellent variety of 
summer Pear, adapted to the climate of 
Scotland. It is doubtful whether it would 
be grown so well in the south of England, 
and retain the same flavour which it does 
in the north; and even if it did it could 
not rival some of the varieties which are 
better adapted for the southern counties. 
Still it is worthy of the notice of or- 
chardists in the north of England and 
south of Scotland, and I am much sur¬ 
prised that it has not a wider cultivation 
than I have hitherto observed; the only 
districts where I have seen it grown to any 
extent being the Carses of Gowrie and 
Stirling. I have noticed it also in great 
perfection in Morayshire, and I have no 
doubt, if it were better known, it would soon displace such inferior varieties 
as Crawford, Grey Goodwife, and many others of a similar class. 
BEQUESNE.— Merlet. 
Identification. —Merlet Abrege, 105. Dub. Arb. Fruit, ii. 181. Diel Kernobst. 
xxvii. 219. Decaisne Jard. Fruit, du Mus. liv. 31. 
Synonymes. —Bellissime de Jardin, Nois. Man. ii. 528. Asperge d’Hiver, Ibid. 
Schnabelbirne, Acc. Diel. Eselsmaul, Ibid. Eselstopf, Ibid. 
Figure. —Decaisne, Jard. Fruit, du Mus. liv. 31. 
Fruit large and handsome, even and regular in its outline, pyriform or 
abrupt pyramidal in its shape, inches long, and 3 inches broad. Skin of a fine 
bright golden yellow colour on the shaded side, and on the side next the sun 
it is of a bright crimson ; the surface is strewed with large russet dots, which 
give it a rough feel when handled, and with a patch of russet round the stalk. 
Eye open, with rather long spreading segments, and set in a shallow depres¬ 
sion. Stalk 1|- inch long, inserted without depression on the end of the fruit. 
Flesh coarse-grained and rather gritty, firm and crisp, sweet, and slightly 
perfumed. 
An excellent cooking Pear, which comes into use in October, and continues 
all the winter. 
In reference to the origin of the name, M. Decaisne says : “In Champagne 
a prattling young girl is called Bequene or Beqaens. In Lorraine the green 
woodpecker is called beccaine , which makes a great noise with its beak. The 
