MARCH. 
45 
BEURRE CLAIRGEAU PEAR. 
WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 
Take it for all in all, the Beurre Clairgeau is a Pear whi^h ought to 
have a place in every garden which is not of the most limited extent. It 
combines in itself so many of the qualifications that go to make a good fruit, 
that wherever there is room it ought to find a place. Its size is of the largest, 
and its colour the brightest, its form is most graceful, and its quality in 
certain situations is excellent. For the dessert it has few rivals, and as its 
season extends from the beginning of November till January, it is invaluable 
for keeping up a supply. The tree is of remarkable fertility, and of moderate 
size. It does not produce a very vigorous growth, and is consequently well 
adapted either for bush culture, or for pyramids. To have the fruit in the 
finest possible condition, it ought to be grown in one of these forms. We have 
seen dwarf bushes laden with fruit equal in size and colour to that repre¬ 
sented in our figure, where proper attention has been paid to thinning and 
exposure to the sun’s rays, and particularly so when it was so near the soil 
as to benefit from the radiation. On espaliers, or against an east or west 
wall, we have also seen it produced in high condition. 
This beautiful Pear originated at Nantes about the year 1888, in the 
garden of Pierre Clairgeau, a gardener in Rue de la Bastille of that city. It 
first fruited in 1848, and that same year he exhibited it on the 22nd of 
October at the Horticultural Society of Loire-Inferieur. It is believed to 
have been produced from a cross between the Brown Beurre and Duchesse 
d’Angouleme. The original tree was purchased by M. De Jonghe, of 
Brussels, and formed part of his collection at St. Gilles in the suburbs 
of that city. 
NEW FLOWERS. 
The record of the past year which gives an account of the leading New 
Flowers will have a special interest for the readers of the Florist and 
Pomologist, seeing that it is one of its peculiar features to treat of New 
Flowers. Such a record must be an evidence that a multitude of aspirants for 
public favour have appeared, and that a certain number of these are destined 
to “ make their mark ” in “ floricultural annals.” These favoured ones it 
is the special object of this paper to notice. 
That grand old flower the Auricula has received an accession in the 
form of two very handsome Alpine varieties, the productions of Mr. Turner. 
The one, Defiance, is a rich dark violet-shaded flower, with large stout pips, 
of fine form; the other, Victorious, is a bright crimson chocolate, a dashing- 
looking flower, with large well-formed pips, and a conspicuous lemon centre. 
Both got the “ blue riband ” of floriculture—a first-class certificate. 
Azaleas, scarcely as numerous as usual, have been well represented by 
Her Majesty, a pure rosy lilac, edged with white and spotted with crimson—a 
beautiful flower of first-class quality, which we have lately figured; Charmer, 
bright amaranth, of fine form and substance, free-blooming, of good habit, 
and a useful accession also as a new shade of colour; and Vivid, rich 
glowing scarlet, a gem in point of colour, the flowers of good size and fine 
substance. Mr. Williams’s three new varieties—viz., Andersoni, Princess 
Alexandra, and Princess Helena, I have not seen, but report says that Princess A. 
is worth a florist’s eye, it being what may be termed a gigantic form of 
VOL. VI. D 
