1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
307 
very celebrated Canada fruit, which has its name, 
(,Pomme de Neige, or Snow apple,) from the snow- 
white color of its flesh, or, as some say, from the vil¬ 
lage whence it was first taken to England.” Perhaps 
it may be regarded as strictly an autumn apple, al¬ 
though in northern latitudes, it keeps well into winter. 
It is “known to a limited extent throughout the country. 
Fruit of medium size, sometimes rather small, round, 
even, and regular, rarely flattened at the end; color a 
fine deep clear red, with indistinct stripes on a whitish 
ground; stalk quite slender, three-quarters of an inch 
long.; in a rather small eavity; calyx in a small, wrin¬ 
kled basin; flesh remarkably white, often with faint 
streaks of red, breaking, juicy, very fine in texture, 
pleasant, slightly spicy, sub-acid flavor. Distinguished 
for its pleasant and agreeable qualities more than for 
its richness. First rate. 
Analysts of the Forms of Fears* 
The second number of that splendid and valuable 
work, the Transactions of the Massachusetts Horticul¬ 
tural Society, contains a very interesting and valuable 
paper, consisting chiefly of figures, on the Analysis 
of the Forms of Pears.” We have taken the liber¬ 
ty, however, in one essential instance, to change the 
descriptive phrase applied to them, which we shall 
point out. 
Although these figures nearly explain themselves, it 
may be remarked in the language of J. E. Teschema- 
eker, the author of the article referred to, that u the 
analysis is performed by means of a simple fundamen¬ 
tal figure of a circle, on the variations from which, 
combined with different pyramidal forms of the pear, 
the descriptions are founded; and in order to exhibit 
these distinctly, the original circle, when not a portion 
of the outline of form is delineated by dots.” It is al¬ 
so observed that there are examples where the irregu¬ 
larity in the forms of pears is such, as to preclude rigid 
accuracy in the application of these principles. The 
remark is added that u the same forms and explana¬ 
tions may also be |used in descriptions of the apple, 
with the substitution of pyramidal for pyriform ; and 
with the observation that the small end of the pyramid 
in the apple is at the calyx, while in the pear it is at 
the stem.” 
The instance in which we have deviated from the lan¬ 
guage of the original, in copying these figures, and 
their explanatory phrases, is in substituting the term 
oblate for obovate. We should not have presumed to 
make this change were we not borne out both by the 
ordinary definition of the term, and by the universal 
usage of naturalists as well as pomologists. The term 
ovate, as is well known, implies egg-shaped, or an oval 
smaller at one end.; obovate, has the position of the 
larger and smaller end reversed. Thus, in botany, an 
ovate leaf is like the longest section of an egg, the lar¬ 
ger end being at the base, as in the beech and balsam 
poplar; it is obovate when of the same shape but lar¬ 
ger at the apex, as in the alder and spice-wood. Hence, 
also, a pear is ovate when the stem is at the larger end; 
and obovate, when at the smaller. But in the article 
from which we have copied these figures, the term obo¬ 
vate is applied to fruit designated as oblate or fiat; a 
change in its common meaning so great, that we are 
puzzled to account for the deviation. A similar appli- 
, cation of the term in botany would cause the leaves of 
such plants as the As arum canadense and Heteranthe - 
ra reniformis to be described as obovate, totally differ¬ 
ent from all usage. Hence, in deference to usage, we 
have presumed to restore the term, and apply oblate 
and its combinations, to such fruits as are flattened at 
the ends. 
The principle, however,, of referring the multitude of 
Globular. 
Bleeeker’s Meadow. 
Ovate* 
Croft Castle. 
O'date or Flat. 
Gansel’s Bergamot. 
Fulton. 
Globular-acute-pyriform 
St. Ghislain. 
Capiaumont. 
Obovate-pyriform. Oblate-acute-pyriform. Oblate-obtuse-pyriform. 
Washington. Beurre Bose. Winter Nelis. 
Oblong-pyriform. Oblong- ovate-pyriform. Oblong-oblate-pyriform. 
Van Mons’ Leon Leclerc. Vicar of Winkfield. Bartlett. 
different forms in the pear to so simple a figure as the 
circle, and describing their variations from this figure 
by simple and appropriate terms, which appears to be 
entirely new, we regard as a very valuable suggestion. 
It will serve to point out, with clearness and brevity, 
some forms which would otherwise require many words. 
For instance, the Yicar of Winkfield partakes of the 
character of oblong and pyriform, and it has the slight 
taper towards the ealyx exhibited in the figure of the 
“ ovate ” form; hence this is at once expressed by the 
compound term, “ oblong-ovate-pyriform.” 
Onondaga or Swan’s Orange Fear. 
We notice, in the last number of the Horticulturist , 
a statement of H. H. Crapo, of New Bedford, that this 
pear fails to make a good growth when grafted or bud¬ 
ded on the quince, whether single or double-worked; 
and that in every instance the trees presented a weak 
and sickly appearance, while those on pear stocks were 
vigorous, more rapid in growth and very healthy. 
We are satisfied that the success of some varieties 
of the pear depends as well upon other circumstances, 
as upon the nature of the variety. The writer has trees 
of the Onondaga budded directly upon the quince, which 
have made as vigorous a growth the present season as 
on the pear, or as any other variety out of 50 sorts, ex¬ 
cept the Genesee and Louise Bonne of Jersey, the shoots 
