539 
December  11,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
ASD  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Some  Non-competitive  Pears. 
Names  of  Pears  are  by  many  culled  from  the  exhibition  tables 
during  the  autumn  months  for  the  purpose  of  adding  additional 
kinds  to  existing  stock,  or  to  form  a  new  collection;  a  most 
commendable  action,  be  it  said,  where  fruit  is  desired  for  the 
brief  period  of  the  winter  which  such  a  sourcq  would  furnish. 
Usually,  though  not  invariably,  fruit  exhibited  are  ripe,  or  on 
the  verge  of  ripeness,  when  exhibited ;  not  that  this  should  be, 
though  it  is  often  made,  a  favourable  consideration  in  the 
awarding  of  prizes.  There  are  some  Pears — indeed,  a  good 
many — that  never  find  their  way  into  an  exhibition,  simply 
because  their  size,  appearance,  or  season  renders  them  in¬ 
eligible.  To  say  there  are  far  too  many  Pears  in  cultivation 
does  not  require  emphasis,  for  out  of  a  large  selection  there  are 
very  few  which  combine  a  season  outside  the  months  of  October 
and  November,  and  for  ordinary  home  consumption  it  does  not 
require  any  stretch  of  imagination  to  consider  how  few  are 
actually  required  for  those  two*  months.  With  Pears,  however, 
there  is  such  a  vein  of  uncertainty;  a  variety  good,  it  may  be 
extra  good,  in  one  season  may  be  almost  worthless  another.  So 
many  are  impatient  in  waiting  for  their  turn,  and  when  there 
are  a  fairly  large  assortment,  all  ready  to  be  dealt  with  at  the 
same  time,  there  is  sure  to  be  losses  more  or  less  severe. 
Doyenne  Boismond  is  a  Pear  somewhat  similar  in  colour, 
though  more  round  in  shape  and  smaller  in  size.  This  has  a 
very  good  quality,  juicy,  rich,  and  melting,  and  what  is  so 
commendable  is  that,  like  the  first-named,  it  keeps  soundly  until 
some  others  are  gone.  For  this  reason  it  is  deserving  of  a. 
space  for  two  trees,  where  some  better  known  ones  will  afford 
sufficient  for  their  time  from  one  tree.  It  is  a  French  Pear  that 
does  not  find  a  place  in  Dr.  Hogg’s  fifth  edition  of  the  “  Fruit 
Manual.”  It  may  be  truly  said  there  are  many  less  deserving, 
though  much  better  known. 
Althorp  Crassanne  is  a  Pear  I  have  a  good  opinion  of  for 
three  reasons;  namely,  regularity  of  crop  on  bush-grown  trees, 
most  distinct  flavour,  and  accommodation  in  its  keeping  powers. 
This  is  a  variety  without  any  external  beauty,  pale  green,  with¬ 
out  even  a  freckle  or  sunny  flush.  Its  rich,  perfumed  flavour, 
extreme  juiciness,  buttery  texture,  and  white  flesh  combine  all 
that  one  can  desire  in  a  Pear.  None  among  our  early  winter 
sorts  remain  so  long  in  a  sound  state,  a  quality  certainly  de¬ 
serving  of  recognition. 
Seckle,  one  of  the  smallest  of  Pears,  combines  even  greater 
depth  of  flavour  than  Marie  Louise,  and  is,  in  this  respect,  really 
excellent.  It  is  a  very  tempting  Pear  with  birds,  especially 
Anemone  japonica  in  a  Chester  Garden. 
gems — in  masses 
or  long  and  con¬ 
tinuous  borders. 
The  illustration 
should  serve  a 
useful  purpose. 
The  flow’ering 
period  of  the 
Japan  Anemone 
may  be  consider¬ 
ably  prolonged 
by  having  some 
plants  on  a  north 
border  in  the 
greater  coolness 
and  shade,  and 
others on  a  south. 
Any  friable  gar¬ 
den  soil  will  suit 
it,  but  undoubt¬ 
edly  the  plants 
respond  to  gene¬ 
rous  treatment. 
Beds  once  formed 
may  be  left  for 
years,  and  a  top- 
dressing  may  be 
given  annually 
after  the  stems 
have  been  cut 
down.  We  must 
congratulate  and 
compliment  the 
owner  of  so  beau¬ 
tiful  a  garden 
feature  as  that 
here  shown,  and 
his  gardener  too, 
.  for  the  care  he 
must  take  to 
ensure  such 
true  success. 
tomtits.  This  is  so  marked  that,  unless  protected,  but  very 
few  fruits  remain  sound  enough  to  store.  It  is  fairly  free  in 
fruit  as  a  bush  tree,  and  on  account  of  its  high  flavour  one  tree 
ought  to  be  grown  where  space  allows. 
Passe  Colmar  is  a  small  sized,  nicely-flavoured  Pear  that  ex¬ 
tends  beyond  the  span  of  October  and  November,  strictly  Pear 
months;  that  also  crop  very  w’ell  as  an  open  bush.  Its  many 
synonyms  would  point  in  some  degree  to  a  merit  above  the 
average  of  Pears.  .  On  a  wall,  no  doubt,  the  fruit  would  be 
larger  and  more  attractive,  though  quality  may  be  no  better. 
Olivier  do  Serres  is  another  good  variety,  not  of  the  com¬ 
petitive  order,  for  no  other  reason  than  its  lack  of  size.  In 
quality  it  ranks  far  before  Pitmaston  Duchess,  so  much  favoured 
for  show  purposes,  and  will  keep  well.  Some  find  it  last  into 
February;  but  it  has  not  favoured  me  into  quite  so  late  a 
period  of  the  winter. 
President  Barabe  is  one  that  has  acquired  fame  within 
later  years,  not  because  of  its  large  size,  for  this  certainly  is  an 
absent  attribute,  but  rather  for  its  keeping  and  cropping 
qualities,  which  are  the  more  desirable.  It  is  most  distinct  in 
character,  especially  its  large,  open  eye  and  extended  segments. 
In  this  respect  it  differs  from  almost  every  other  known  Pear. 
Bergamot  Esperen  should  also  enlist  the  favours  of  the  plant¬ 
ing  season,  because  its  time  of  use  steps  out  of  the  old  into  the 
early  months  of  the  new  year;  and  while  it  has  this  good 
character  to  recommend  it,  it  also  develops  a  fine  flavour — a 
point  of  much  value. 
Winter  Nelis  is  too  well  known  to  expect  much  notice;  yet, 
while  its  small  size  dwarfs  its  chance,  pitted  against  some  of  the 
later  show  Pears,  who  can  find  a  fault  with  it  on  any  other 
point  ?  If  it  has  one,  it  is  found  in  its  small  crop  given  on  bush 
or  pyramid  trees.  It  is  worth,  and  really  deserves,  a  space  on  a 
nail. — W.  Stkugnell. 
The  White  Japan  Anemone  in  a  Chester  Garden. 
The  White  Japan  Anemone  is  not  the  type  plant,  for  that  bears 
pink-coloured  flowers.  According  to  the  author  of  “  The  English 
Flower  Garden,”  the  albino  form  originated  at  “  Verdun-sur-Meuse, 
in  the  garden  of  M.  Jobert.  From  a  large  tuft  of  A.  japonica  (pink), 
a  stem  arose  with  pure  white  flowers.”  The  name  of  this  white 
Anemone  is  Honorine  Jobert.  By  the  kindness  of  Mr.  G.  P.  Miln,  of 
the  Grosvenor  Museum,  Chester,  we  have  the  privilege  to  depict  a 
border  of  this  white  variety,  as  photographed  in  the  garden  of  Captain 
McGillycuddy,  at  Bach  Hall,  near  Chester.  This  is  the  manner  in 
which  to  cultivaf  e 
such  queenly 
