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CONTENTS.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

Horticulture.

Page.

ART. I. Descriptions and Engravings of Select Varieties of

481

Pears. By the Editor, ART. II. Garden Notes. By Dr. M. A. Ward, Athens, Ga., 492

ART. III. Wendell's Mottled Bigarreau Cherry; with an Engraving of the Fruit. By Dr. Herman Wendell, Academy Park, Albany, N. Y.,.

494

Floriculture.

ART. IV. Floricultural and Botanical Notices of New and
Beautiful Plants figured in Foreign Periodicals; with
Descriptions of those recently introduced to, or originat-
ed in, American Gardens,.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.

... 495

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Printed by Dutton & Wentworth, No. 37 Congress St. Bostor.

OF

HORTICULTURE.

NOVEMBER, 1847.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ART. I. Descriptions and Engravings of Select Varieties of Pears. By THE EDITOR.

In continuation of our article descriptive of select pears, we have the pleasure of drawing the attention of cultivators to six native varieties, some of them of great excellence, particularly Knight's Seedling and Winship's Seedling. Though both of these have been known for some time, they do not appear to have been generally introduced into cultivation. It is gratifying to find the list of American pears continually augmenting, and more gratifying to find some whose merits have yearly improved, as soil or locality may have been favorable to the trees, or judicious cultivation, and more careful ripening, may have produced better specimens. We are more and more convinced that, ere long, as with the apple, our greatest reliance must be placed on our native varieties. Their peculiar hardiness and adaptation to our climate give them a value over most foreign sorts, and, among the many superior ones already brought to notice, the cultivator need have no trouble in making a selection of the very finest pears.

79. KNIGHT'S (R. I.) SEEDLING. N. E. Farm. Vol. X. p. 82.

In the fall of 1831, Mr. A. Foster, of Providence, R. I., sent to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society a box of pears, which he called Knight's Seedling, (fig. 39,) and which he accompanied with the following letter :—

"With this, you will receive a small box containing about a dozen specimens of the Knight's Seedling pear. This is a

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new variety, a native of this state, and is considered by many to be equal to the St. Michael or the Seckel. Were it left to me to decide, I should hesitate, before I placed this or any other pear on a par with the St. Michael; nor have I, as yet, seen any variety that possessed the sweet and delicate flavor of the Seckel.

"The original tree is now standing on the farm of Mr. Wm. Knight, of Cranston, in a wild, rocky and uncultivated spot,

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Fig. 39. Knight's Seedling.

remote from any dwelling, and, until within a few years, has almost remained unnoticed and unknown. Within forty rods of this pear tree, separated by a piece of swampy ground, stands another of natural growth, but of no value whatever." Such is the account given of it sixteen years ago, since which period, we are not aware of the fruit having been often seen

until last year. It is comparatively quite a new fruit. The Committee who tasted the fruit considered it "well worthy of cultivation." Mr. Foster kindly offered to send scions for distribution in the spring of 1832.

Soon after this, Mr. Manning introduced it into his Pomological Garden at Salem, fruited the tree, and disseminated the variety; but, like many other new fruits originated or brought to notice at that time, when there were but few zealous cultivators who appreciated the importance of giving new fruits a trial, it did not attract much attention. Even in Mr. Manning's garden, among the numerous varieties which he was then receiving from Van Mons and other sources, its merits were overlooked. In Rhode Island, its cultivation has been very limited, having been confined to the immediate locality of its origin, and, up to the fall of 1846, it appears to have been very little known, although Mr. Manning's son has occasionally exhibited it, but without knowing much of its history or qualities. Since last year, however, when some good specimens were shown by Col. Wilder, who received the scions of the late Mr. Manning, its excellence has been justly appreciated, and another trial of it the present season has given it a rank among the best pears.

In general appearance, it greatly resembles the Belle Lucrative, and some specimens that we have eaten have been nearly or quite as good. The tree is vigorous, hardy and productive wood yellowish, smooth, and very free from specks.

Size, large, about three inches long, and two and three quarters in diameter: Form, obovate, regular, rather full at the crown, and tapering to the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, green, becoming yellowish green when mature, and thickly covered with dark green specks: Stem, medium length, about one inch long, moderately stout, curved, and obliquely inserted with scarcely any cavity: Eye, medium size, open, and but little sunk in a broad shallow basin; segments of the calyx broad and partially reflexed: Flesh, white, rather coarse, melting and juicy: Flavor, rich, sugary and excellent, with a pleasant aroma: Core, small: Seeds, medium size, dark. Ripe in September.

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