The Book of Pears and Plums Part 5

B. Bosc is largely grown in Kent as a market pear. It succeeds on a chalky, warm soil. It is sometimes "first rate," Barron (October, November).

Beurre Mortillet (new) (D. G., _i.e._ Double Grafted) is a large and handsome September pear; gather before it is ripe.

Conference (Rivers), comparatively new, is large, handsome, and a good bearer, but not first rate (November).

Fondante de Thirriott, or Thiriot (new), grows and bears freely, fruit large and good. "First quality," Barron (November and December).

Madame Treyve is a good September pear, red and yellow, in chalky soil.

It bears freely, but is not first rate.

Bon Chretien should be gathered gradually before it is ripe, and laid on the shelves. It is said that you must sit up all night to eat it just at the right time.

D. du Comice is regarded as the best all round Dessert pear grown. Marie Louise is tender and unreliable. Thompson's, some think, the best for flavour. It is smaller, and bears best on the Pear Stock.

Marie Benoist is recommended in many lists as a good late pear, but my experience has not been favourable. It is late and large when it bears.

General Todleben is large and handsome, but usually only fit for cooking (October and November).

Princess (new) is a late Louise Bonne, large and good; the tree bears well.

Beurre or Doyenne Sterkmans is a medium-sized, late pear (December, January, February), flushed bright red on one side; "second rate,"

Barron.

Beurre de Jonghe is a good Christmas Pear, but a slow grower, and needs a wall or orchard house.

Beurre Bachelier is large, handsome, a good bearer, but quite second rate (November).

Hacon's Incomparable is large and handsome, but second rate (November).

Swan's Egg was a popular pear fifty years ago for market, as the tree is hardy, bears well, and the fruit is good, but rather small (October).

Noveau Poiteau is a good exhibition pear, of vigorous growth, and bears well; the fruit is excellent but does not keep well (November).

Pitmaston d.u.c.h.ess is an increasingly popular pear for market. It is very large, and on a cordon often handsome; in warm seasons of good quality, golden yellow when ripe. Bush trees on Quince bear well (October, November).

d.u.c.h.esse d'Angouleme was a great favourite formerly, the tree growing and bearing well. Fruit often very large, but coa.r.s.e and gritty. Crossed with Glou Morceau it has given us a child Pitmaston superior to the parents.

Josephine de Malines is p.r.o.nounced by Mr Barron to be "always good."

Hardy, and bears well on Quince (January-April).

Fouqueray is a large, good pear, an improved B. Bachelier (October).

B. Hardy is a great favourite with birds; they prefer and peck the best fruit.

B. Alexandre Lucas is large and handsome; pyriform, the tree is a good grower (October, November).

Triomphe de Vienne is a large and handsome September pear tree (D. G.), grows and bears well, comparatively new.

Marguerite Marillat, a very large, handsome September pear, bears well: comparatively new.

Michaelmas Nelis is a new variety, of which a specimen fruit has just been sent me by Messrs Bunyard. It is as delicious as the Winter Nelis pear (December and January).

RECEIPTS (from Ca.s.sell's "Dictionary of Cookery," slightly abridged)

1. _To bake Pears._--Rub half-a-dozen large hard pears with a soft cloth. Put them on a b.u.t.tered baking tin into a slow oven, and let them bake gently for five or six hours. When tender, they are done enough, and are excellent if eaten with sugar. Probably cost 4d. Sufficient for three or four persons.

2. _Another way._--Pare very smoothly a dozen large baking pears. Halve them, take out the cores, put them side by side into a well-brightened block-tin saucepan with a closely fitting cover. Pour over as much cold water as will cover them, add the thin rind of a small lemon, a tablespoonful of strained lemon juice, an inch of stick cinnamon, and fifteen grains of allspice. Put on cover, place the dish in a gentle oven, let it remain until the pears are tender, add a little white wine if liked. If such a saucepan is used, no cochineal will be needed. Time to bake six hours. Probable cost 1s. 8d. Sufficient for eight or ten persons.

_To Preserve Pears._--Gather the pears before they are quite ripe, pare, halve, core and weigh them, put into a deep jar, allowing 3 lbs. of sugar to every 4 lbs. of pears, and just enough water to moisten the sugar, and to keep the fruit from burning. The strained juice and thinly-pared rind of a lemon and an inch of whole ginger may be put with every 2 lbs. of pears. Place the jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and let the fruit steam gently for six or seven hours. Turn it into jars, and at once fasten these down securely, and store in a dry, cool place.

Two or three drops of cochineal added to the pears after they are cooked improve their appearance. Pears preserved thus will not probably keep good more than three or four months. Probable cost 8d. per lb.

_Pears Preserved, Red._--If in preserving pears it is wished to give a deep pink tinge to the fruit and syrup, use a perfectly bright block-tin saucepan. If this is not convenient, add three or four drops of cochineal to the syrup or a small proportion of Red Currant or Red Gooseberry juice.

_Pears Stewed._--Pare, core, and halve eight or ten good-sized pears, leaving on the stalks or not, according to taste; put them into a tinned saucepan, with 6 ozs. of loaf sugar, 6 cloves, 6 whole allspice, of a pint of water, and a gla.s.sful of port (?). Let them boil as gently as possible until quite soft but not broken. Lift them out, put them on a gla.s.s dish, and when the syrup is cold, strain it over them. Some cream or custard added is a great improvement. Time to stew the pears from two-and-a-half to three hours. Probable cost 1s. 4d. Sufficient for five or six persons.

For Compote of Pears, Pears Frosted and Iced, Pears Pickled, and other such receipts, see same dictionary.

For another method of preserving, see plums.

_To Preserve Pears_ (from an old author).--Pare them very thinly and simmer in a thin syrup; let them lie a day or two in the syrup. Make the syrup richer, and simmer again, and repeat this process till they are clear; then drain and dry them in the sun or a cool oven a very little time. They may be kept in syrup, which makes them more moist and rich, and dried as wanted. Jargonelles are said to be the best for this purpose.

_To Bake Pears._--These need not be of a fine sort; but some taste better than others, and often those that are least fit to eat raw are best for baking. Wipe, but _do not_ pare, and lay them on tin plates, and bake in a slow oven. When soft enough to bear pressure, flatten them with a silver spoon. When done thorough, put them on a dish. They should be baked three or four times, and very gently.

_To Stew Pears._--Pare, halve or quarter large pears, according to their size; throw them into water, as the skin is taken off, before they are divided to prevent them turning black. Pack them round a block tin stewpan, and sprinkle as much sugar over as will make them pretty sweet; add lemon-peel, a clove or two, and some allspice cracked; just cover them with water, and add a little red wine. Cover them close and stew three or four hours; when tender, take them out, and strain the liquor over them.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _See_ Cheal, "Fruit Culture," p. 8.

[2] Rivers.

[3] See an excellent article on Pears in new edition of Thompson's "Gardeners' a.s.sistant," by R. L. C.

[4] See elaborate account in the "Watson's G.'s a.s.sistant," vol. iv. p.

116.

[5] See "Miniature Fruit Garden," p. 64.

[6] See Watson, vol. v., "Storing."

[7] Hedge-sparrow smaller, duller in colour, eggs bluish green, builds in hedges; house-sparrow, eggs white, with brown spots, nests in trees and buildings.

[8] John Wright, "Profitable Fruit Growing."