VunnuAnY 10. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
803 
I) 
ar 
I) 
W 
FEBRUARY 19—25. 
19 
Tn 
Podura plumbea. 
Omaluni planum. 
20 
W 
21 
Th 
Sun’s declinat., 10° 44's 
22 
F 
Bruclius aler. 
23 
S 
Parnus sericeus. 
24 
Sun 
3 Sunday in Dent. 
25 
BI 
St. Matthias. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
\Ve\tiier nkar Lo.nbon in 1S.15. 
i 
Barometer. iThermo. W'iud. Rain in Rises. 
I Inches. 
29.938—29.883 
33 — 20 
E. 
1 10 a 7 
29.732—29.891 
35— 3 
E. ( 
— 
1 8 
29.855—29.837 
30—10 
N.E. 
— 
6 
29.904 — 29.877 
34—23 
E. 
— 
4 
29.988—29.853 
! 37—18 
N.E. 
— 
2 
29.007- 29.391 
, 44—33 
S.W. 
60 
VI 
29.354—29.314 
' 49—37 
s.w. 
10 
57 
Sun 
Bloon 
Moi n’s 
Clock 
Day 1 f 
Sets. 
R. h S. 
Age. 
bf. Sun. 
Year. 
19 a 5 
00 
1 
13 
14 
10 
.50 
21 
rises. 
© 
14 
4 
51 
22 
6 a 4 
15 
13 
58 
52 
24 
7 13 
lO 
13 
50 
53 
26 
8 22 
17 
13 
42 
54 
28 
9 .31 
18 
13 
34 
55 
30 
10 43 
19 
13 
24 
56 
Meteorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-nine years, the average higliest and lowest tem¬ 
peratures of these days are 46.5'^, and" 32.8°, respectively. The greatest heat, 59°, occurred on the 24th, in 1&50; and the lowest cold, 15°, 
on the 20th, in 1652. During the period 99 days were fine, and on 9/ rain fell. 
THE FRUITS AND FRUIT-TREES OF GREAT 
BRITAIN. 
NO. vm. 
JOSEPHINE DE MARINES PEAR. 
BiiFoiiE the i)lanting season closes, wo are anxious to 
make our readers aettuainted with tliis and the following 
Pear, both of which are possessed of such merits as to 
entitle them to a place in every collection. 
The fruit of Josephine de Malines has a delightful 
I odour, like that of the Hyacinth, a peculiarity which 
I belongs, so far as our experience goes, to this variety 
i alone. It is, in size, about two-inches and-a-balf wide, 
; and the same in length, and of a long turbinate (or top) 
I shape, even and regularly formed. Tlio skin is smooth, 
I thin, and tender ; when fully ripe of a fine lemon-yellow, 
\ with sometimes a slight orange tinge on the side next 
' the sun, and greenish on the shaded side; the surface 
j strewed with freckles of smooth, delicate, pale brown- 
i russet, and with a russetty patch of the same colour 
round the base of the stalk and the eye. Specimens 
grown in heavy and cold soils are more coarse and rus¬ 
setty, and have not the orange tinge. The stalk is three- 
quarters-of an-inch long, obliquely inserted in a small, 
narrow cavity. The eye is open, with short, acute, and 
erect segments, filled with stamens, and placed in a 
round, shallow', saucer-like depression. 'The flesh is of 
a sort of amber or pinky tinge, very melting, and very 
juicy; the juice sugary, richly flavoured, and vinous, 
with a most delightful aroma, which, in some specimens, 
W'e have thought resembles that of the Rose, and in 
others the Hyacinth. 
'The season at which this admirable Pear is in perfec¬ 
tion should be from January till March, a period, of all 
others, when something many degrees inferior to it would 
always be acceptable; it is, therefore, in many respects, 
a variety which deserves the attention of every planter. 
'This season, however, which has been remarkable for 
the premature ripening of Pears, we had it as early as 
the middle of December. 
'The size which the fruit attains is sometimes larger 
than that given in our figure; and one sent us by Mr. 
Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, was considerably larger, and 
of a beautiful deep, lemon-yellow colour, and a powerful 
Hyacinth perfume. The peculiarity of this specimen 
was, that it was grown on a tree grafted upon the Henv- 
thorn, the fruit was exquisitely flavored and melting, 
and, judging from this example, we should be inclined 
to think that it is a variety which is disposed to make 
itself quite at home under any circumstances. \Ve re¬ 
member having a very large tree of Heine des Fvires 
twenty years old, which was grafted on a Hawthorn, and 
bore fruit abundantly, remarkable for its fine colour. 
The tree of Josephine de Malines is quite hardy, and 
an abundant bearer- It makes a handsome pyramid, 
and being one of those which attain only a medium 
size, and having the branches closely furnished with 
buds, it is well adapted for espalier or wall training. 
'This variety was raised by Major Esperen, of Malines, 
about the year 1830, and named Josephine as a com¬ 
pliment to bis wife. 
NO. IX. 
ZEt’IIIHINE GREGOIRE PEAR. 
'Though this is a variety which does not recommend 
itself so strongly on account of its season of maturity 
as the preceding, still, it is one which is higlily 
deserving of general cultivation. 
'The fruit emits a delicate perfume, is from two-inches- 
and-a-quarter to tw'o-inches-and-half in width, and the 
same in height. Its sliape is roundish turbinate, even 
and smooth on the surface, except at the base of the 
No, CCOLXXXYI. VoL. XV. 
