The Virgouleuse, or ice-pear, is a large and long fruit, of a green colour, inclining to yellow as it ripens; flesh melt ing, and lull of rich juice ; for eating in December, and continues till February. The tree is often accounted a bad bearer ; but it has been justly remarked by Miller, that this may frequently arise from gardeners not attending to its nature: it produces vigorous shoots, and the blossom comes principally at the ends of these shoots ; if therefore the tree be pruned in the ordinary way, much of the blos som must be cut away ; if, however, it be allowed ample space, and the branches he laid in at full length, the tree produces fair crops. In favourable situations, it suc ceeds on espalier-rails, but it is commonly trained against a wall.
The Holland Bergamot is a good pear, of a greenish yellow colour ; the flesh tender, and high flavoured: it must remain on the tree till the approach of frost : it keeps till May.
The Easter Bergamot, Bergamotte de Piques, or win ter bergamot, is a large roundish fruit, of a greyish-green colour, with a little red ; the flesh between breaking and melting. In this country, the tree must stand on a free stock, and have a good wall, and well prepared bor der. The fruit is fit for the table in February, and keeps till April.
The Dry, martin (martin-sec), or winter russelet, is an oblong pear, russety on one side, inclining to red on the other ; flesh breaking, juice sugary, with a little per fume ; ready in November, and keeps abort three months. The tree is generally placed on a free stock ; but it succeeds either against a wall or rail, and bears pret ty freely.
The Louise-bonne resembles the St Germain, and is pretty good when produced against a wall, and from a dry soil ; in season in December. The tree generally bears well.
The Marquise, or marchioness's pear, is a long pyra midal Fruit, of a greenish-yellow colour, with a little brown ; the flesh is melting, and the juice rich and sweet. In season in November and December. In this country the tree requires a good wall and favourable aspect.
The Ai:brace is an oval middle-sized fruit, melting and sugary ; when produced from a dry soil and against a south wall, the fruit acquires a flavour resembling the scent of the sweet-sultan or ambrette of the French.
The Poire d'?Iuch is described by Forsyth as resembling the colmart, but fuller towards the stalk, and'' without ex ception the best of all the winter pears."
The Swan-egg is a very good late pear, for use in No vember and December. It is egg-shaped, of a green co lour, thinly spotted with brown; flesh melting, and abound ing with a pleasant juice. On standards or espaliers the fruit acquires a higher flavour than on wall-trees; in deed it is only trained against a wall in high and bleak situations.
116. With the exception of five, all the pears which have now been enumerated and described are of French origin. Of these five, two are considered as of English origin, the Gansel's bergamot and the Swann-egg ; and three of Scot tish origin, the Muirfowl-egg, Green Yair, and Auchan. Some other Scottish pear's, which occur chiefly in country gardens, but are of good quality, may just be named. Such are Pear•James, the Early Carnock, Late Carnock or Drummond, Golden Knap, Crawford or Lammas, the Grey Goodwife, and the John Monteith.
Among English pears little known or attended to, may be mentioned the Elton pear, figured in the London I lor ticultural Transactions, vol. ii. It ripens on standards, for which it is best suited, from the middle to the end of Sep tember; but it must be gathered ten days before being ripe, else it is apt to get mealy. When in perfection, it is de scribed as uniting much of the fine flavour of the berga mots with the melting softness of the beurres. The fruit is without seeds, and indeed almost without internal cavity. The original tree stands on its own roots in an orchard of seedling pears at Elton in Herefordshire. It is about a hun dred and fifty years old, but still healthy.
The 4ston-town pear is regarded as a native of Cheshire, and said to have received its name from Aston-town in that county. The branches of the tree have a peculiar tenden cy to twist round in growing upwards. The young shoots are pendent, and the blossoms are produced chiefly at the extremities. The leaves are small and oval. The fruit somewhat resembles the swan-egg pear ; is of a greenish colour, spotted with russet ; when ripe, the flesh is melting, and high flavoured. It is in perfection early in October, hut does not keep. The fruit seems to be improved when the tree is trained to a wall ; but in order to have fruit in this way, the shoots should be trained downwards according to their natural inclination.