APRIL. 
77 
BEURRE CLAIRGEAU and YICAR OF WINKFIELD PEARS. 
From the description of the Beurre Clairgeau Pear, as regards size and 
appearance, which I read, I was induced to get a plant of it about ten years 
ago. The plant I got was a very poor thing, and made little progress for three 
or four years. I had it planted against a south wall, and, with some care and 
attention, I got it at length into a growing state. The first crop it bore was 
in 1860, when it had a few fruit, which were large and fine-looking, and, 
contrary to my expectations, the flavour was excellent, notwithstanding the 
unfavourable nature of that season. The flesh was melting, juicy, and sweet. 
It has borne a light crop every season since, and the fruit has been pronounced 
first-class by every person who has tasted them. It bore a nice crop last year, 
and the fruit was large and fine, many of them a pound in weight. The flavour 
was excellent; indeed I do not know that I ever tasted better, and all who 
tasted them were of the same opinion. In a good favourable soil, and on a 
south wall, I feel certain this will prove one of our best Pears in Yorkshire. 
Here the fruit ripens towards the end of November and beginning of December. 
The Yicar of Winkeield. —This variety ripened here last season, the flesh 
being quite melting and sweet, with a pleasant aroma. The tree is on a south 
wall. The fruit also ripened in 1859, but from that year until last season it 
did not ripen, though it bore good crops every year; but I took care to thin 
well, so that the fruit had every chance, but remained quite hard to the last, 
and was only fit for stewing purposes. Except for the purpose just mentioned, 
I do not consider it worth growing in Yorkshire. M. Saul. 
ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE GOOSEBERRY. 
Ie we consider what a vast number of varieties of Gooseberries we have 
in this country at the present time, it is a matter of surprise that so few are 
possessed of that intrinsic excellence, both as regards flavour and early or late 
production, which would render them desirable for cultivation in the gardens 
of the nobility and gentry, or even in market gardens for wholesale purposes. 
It would appear that the whole attention of those who have devoted their 
time and talents to the improvement of these fruits, has been mainly con¬ 
centrated upon the attainment of weight and size, leaving flavour and good 
marketable qualities, which are of far more importance to the community in 
general, quite out of the question. We must, however, acknowledge that the 
attainment of an improved size in fruits is a legitimate object to strive for, and 
in most cases the flavour is not injured thereby, but on the contrary improved, 
yet there appear to be certain limits which cannot be passed without a sacrifice 
of flavour, and the Gooseberry appears to me a very good exemplification of 
the correctness of this view, as it will almost invariably be found that flavour 
decreases as size increases, and therefore all the praise worthy efforts made by 
those gentlemen who have succeeded so admirably in attaining their object 
are entirely thrown away on the great mass of consumers, and are only really 
useful to those who make it an especial hobby to grow them for exhibition. 
Having myself in former years gone through all the excitement of growing 
them for that purpose, and devoted much time and attention to their culture, 
I can bear testimony to their extreme unsuitableness in an economical point of 
view for cultivation in gentlemen’s gardens: they occupy much room, and the 
produce is not at all to be compared to that which may be obtained from an 
equal extent of space, and the same liberal treatment, accorded to many of the 
