and hardly is brought to melt, but it lafts lon ger.

We may treat this fort in Efpaliers, or against Walls lying to the East or Weft Sun, but never to the South, which makes the Tree turn yellow, and cracks the Fruit, neither will the Fruit keep

There is one fort which is very rare, the Wood is red, and the Fruit of the fame Colour; it is fit for eating fomewhat later than the other, and lafts good till February. It has the fame Qualities of the other Virgouleufe, except that 'tis lefs melting or butter'd. We fhould graft this rare fort upon the common Virgouleufe, if we expect the Fruit large and in good Perfection...

L'Ambrette, i. e. the Ambrette, is a round Pear, of a greenish grey Colour, in strong stiff Ground, but is whitish in fandy Land; it is very melting, and of a rich Water. I esteem it one of the beft Pears, though it is a Wilding, as one may discover by its thorny Wood. It brings better Fruit, being graffed upon the Quince than upon the free Stock; the latter fubjecting the Fruit to be ftony, and of a greener Colour than the other, as it retains more of the Wilding; but the Quince Stock foftens and rectifies it; this Fruit is in high Eftcem every where.

Le Marquifs, i. e. the Marquis, is a large green Pear, which grows yellow in ripening. It is in many things like the Winter bon Chretien; its Stalk is long and flender, and its Flesh very melting and butter'd, its Juice fweet and richly musked, fomewhat fugar'd like the Water of the Meffire Jean Pear; it makes a good Tree, and bears well; and the Sap is fo vigorous, that 'tis always

well

well furnished with Wood; this Pear is one of the best.

La Poire de Malth, i. e. the Malta-pear, is by fome call'd Poire de Pretre, i. e. the Prieft's Pear, is almoft round, ftreak'd with grey and brown; its Stalk is thick and fhort; its Juice fweet, and of a Rofe-like Flavour; it holds a long while in eating; and tho' the Flesh be crackling and brittle, 'tis tender and delicate.

La Poire d'Epine, i. e. the Thorn Pear, is green, and almoft of an oval Figure; it has a little fwelling near the Stalk, which renders that a little fleshy. It turns yellow in ripening, and is very melting and high musked. I think it one of the best melting Pears we have; efpecially if it be upon a free Stock, for upon the Quince the Fruit foon decays. Why it is call'd the Thorn Pear, I can't conceive, for there are no Thorns upon the Tree; the Ambrette might rather deserve that Name, whofe Wood is very thorny.

By Experience I find the Fruit is much better in light fandy Ground, than in flat heavy Land; for in the latter, 'tis always watry and infipid; and in that Cafe we fhould put Sand about the Roots, rather than Dung; for I find, that Sand fo apply'd gives the Fruit a rich Flavour. We fhould likewife do the fame to Peach-Trees, FigTrees, and fome others, when they are planted in heavy Ground; for though in a strong Soil they bear large Fruit, it is feldom good for any thing.

L'Ebergement is a large Pear, very like the Franc-real in Fruit, Wood, and Leaf, and might justly be named the Franc-real Beuree. Its Juice is fweet, and it is a great Bearer, bringing its Fruit the length of the Shoot, or like Ropes of

Onions:

!

Onions: This does much better upon a free Stock, than upon the Quince; for upon the latter it is foon mealy, and should rather be eaten a little green than ripe. We should obferve, that thofe Fruits which are fubject to rot foon, or grow mealy, are much mended by Graffing upon free Stocks; for the Quince, which brings a dry harsh Fruit, communicates its Harfhnefs and Dryness to the Fruits graffed upon it; and likewife fuch kinds of Fruit fhould be gather'd fooner than others, before the Sap flackens in its Motion, for then the Fruit dries and rots fooner than those which have had lefs Time upon the Tree.

Louife-Bonne is a large Pear, of a very long Make, and of a Pearl-like Figure: 'Tis whitish and very melting, if we do not eat it too foon. It comes from Poitou; the Lady of which place was named Louife, and had fo great an Esteem for this Fruit, that it was call'd the Louife-Bonne, or Good Louifa.

Le Martin-Sec de Champagne, i. e. the Champagne dry Martin-pear, is rather long than round, well colour'd, and ftreak'd with red and grey. It has a fugar'd and high flavour'd Water, but is a little fubject to be ftony. It bears abundantly, and is in eating about three Months. "Tis in high Esteem every where.

Parfum d'Hyver, i. e. the Winter perfumed Pear, is an excellent Pear for baking; 'tis large, round, and well coloured with yellow. 'Tis a good Bearer.

Citron mufquée, i. e. the musked Lemon, or Citron Pear, is almost round, finely colour'd with yellow and red, very high flavour'd and a little dry; but 'tis to be watch'd and taken when it begins to fmell, for then its Water is

more

more delicate and foft to the Palate. It is better in moist Grounds, than in dry fandy places, as are most of the dry perfumed or musked Pears.

La Poire de Jaloufie is large, and resembles the pound Pear, but is yellower and more pointed towards the Stalk; its Flefh is fo melting, and its Water fo richly fugar'd and perfum'd, that with good Reason it may be faid to excite Jealoufy among the Pears of this Seafon, as its Name intimates. It fhould not be too ripe when 'tis gather'd, for else it would be too melting, and keep little; for most of the melting Pears rot quickly, if they hang too long upon the Tree. This fort upon the free Stock keeps a long time; but when it is graffed upon a Quince Stock, the Fruit foon decays.

Le Bezy de Quiffoy, is a little Pear, almoft round, very brown and melting. It was firft found in the Foreft of Quiffoy in Brittany, where it is call'd Ruffet, or petit Beurée d'Hyver, i. e. little Winter Beurée. Its Water is extreamly rich and vinous, preserving still something of the Wilding it was taken from; 'tis an extraordinary Bearer, and brings its Fruit in Clufters.

Le parfum d' Autumn, i.e. the Autumn perfum'd Pear, is pretty large and long; 'tis very much musked and high flavour'd for one of the Beurée Race, or fuch as have a melting Flesh.

Le Saffron d'Hyver, i. e. the Winter Saffron Pear, is by fome call'd Orange de St. Lo, i. e. St. Lo Orange Pear; the Fruit is large and round, of a grey Colour, and its Flesh very melting, and of a yellow Colour; it lafts good a long time, is well efteem'd, and bears very well. It does better upon a free Stock than upon the Quince. VOL. II.

G

La

La Rouffeline, is very like the Martin-Sec de Champagne, or Champagne dry Martin-pear, but is a little more pointed, and yellower. The Stalk is very long and flender, like that call'd Poire de Vigne, or Vine-pear. It is one of the best Beurées, delicately musked, like the Pear named Robine, which, in my Opinion, is the best of the musked Race. It is likely this Fruit was named Rouffeline, because its melting Flesh, and extraordinary musked Flavour is fomewhat like the Rouffelet. If this Fruit was more conftant in its Ripening and Perfection, I fhould efteem it the beft of the Winter Fruits; but fome Years it is dry and high flavour'd, and in others, it is melting and of a very different Relish; fo that the Palate does not know what to expect from it.

Bergamotte Creffane, is large and flat, of a yellowish grey Colour; the Flefh is very melting, and the Juice richly fugar'd and vinous. 'Tis a rare and excellent Fruit, and brings a great deal of Wood; is much better upon the free Stock than upon the Quince.

December Pears.

N December the following Pears are in Seafon.

IN

La Vilandry, or by fome called le Bezy, is a pretty large Pear, almost of an oval Shape, and of a yellowish Colour, very melting and well flavour'd, efpecially when it grows in light fandy Land; it lafts good a long time, and is a good Bearer, bringing its Fruit in Clufters: The Tree makes a good Appearance, the Leaves very long, narrow and pointed; and its Fruit may very juftly deferve our Care as one of the best of this Month.