GARDENING IN CANTERBURY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1665, 18 April 1866, Page 3

GARDENING IN CANTERBURY.

AUTOMNAL PEABB. TO THE EDITOR OP THE LTTTELTON TIMES. ' Sir,—These area series of intermediate ' pears which follow the summer varieties in j succession, and remain in season until the j winter varieties are fit for use. Of these , autumnal varieties I have had three fruited , with me this season ; and if I give my expe- | rience of them, probably some of your read- , ers will feel edified with what I write about ( them. c First of all, autumnal pears are divided into ; two sections: conical-fruited and round- ] fruited, and the first variety I shall begin with ( is, the ] Autumn Bergamot, or Common Berga- { mot.—This is one of the best pears, of the , season, and it is also one of the most ancient, ( supposed to have been in the mother country t ever since the days of Julius Caesar. I find , the autumn pears in this country have not c the rich flavour of the early varieties. The 8 object for us to attain here is pears with high j flavour, if possible The reason why they are j not so lam not able to explain, unless it is j that they have not had the benefit of our summer weather to ripen in autumn. This j will probably account for their being short r of richness. One advantage they have over j summer varieties—they will keep longer in 8 season. s Gansel's Bergamot.—This is an excellent r pear, originated in England from the Autumn j Bergamot, superior to it, but said to be less , hardy. It is of a very regular figure, quite } destitute of angles. Bonne Rouge, of the t French,obtained from seel in 1768. It is 8 far from being a tender variety here, for the ] trees bore very heavy crops with me this 5 season when other kinds failed altogether r which are considered much hardier. 1 find it t in every respect a superior pear to the Com- . mon Bergamot. Beurre de Capiaumont.—Th\a is a variety raised in Flanders. The first specimens of it were seen in England in 1820. lam very glad we have it here, for I consider it greatly : superior to the Hergamots as regards flavour, • and it is one of the conical-fruited'varieties , as well, It is an abundant bitarer, and does well in this country. When other varieties are cut off by our spring frosts, I have not known this one to fail. I think one tree ought to be in every collection. My list is not very long this season of autumnal pears; several other varieties have not borne fruit with me yet. Out of 500 or , more known varieties of pearb in cultivation, we possess a very small share of them at the present time here as yet. New and superior ( sorts are being added year by year to this - important class of fruits, and have proved most valuable acquisitions, The continental varieties introduced into England of late years have iar exceeded the expectation generally formed of them, and I hope they will reach here some day, sooner or later. I am afraid our good old kinds, so called, -will have to make room for them. Our climate ( here seems adapted for the pear, for we do not require the assistance of walls for all the heit Borts. Our trees produce abundantly ' and in great perfection on standards and dwarfs. Standard pear tree may be allowed here to romp up in height where shelter is < provided for them, though this treatment may " not be approved of by some. My experience of them by allowing them to do so ends in producing me heavy crops of pears. Yours, &c, WILLIAM SWALE. Avonside Botanic Garden, I April 14,1866.