The culture of winter Pears has hitherto been much neglected. We are surprised that some enterprising cultivators do not plant extensively. Our large cities would consume immense quantities, and they would command greater prices than any other fruit One reason why they are not more cultivated is, we presume, that they require more care and labor to prepare them for market The autumn Pears, such as the Virgalieu (White Doyenne), can be picked from the trees and carried directly to market, while the winter varieties would require to be stored away for a length of time, and house-ripened. And then the supply of autumn Pears is still small, and prices as high as cultivators can reasonably desire. We suppose that we shall not witness any extensive culture of the winter sorts until Pear culture in general has become much more extensive and better understood. There are intelligent amateur cultivators, not a few, who even at this day express a disbelief in the existence of really fine, melting, winter dessert Pears. Not one in five hundred, or we mav aafalv sav five thousand, of those even who have gardens, has yet tasted a fine Winter Nells, a Lawrence, a Beurrt d'Aremberg, a Glout Morceau, or an Easter Beurre; yet these are all delicious, melting Pears, that will ripen in a good dry cellar without any extra care or attention whatever.

The Easter Beurre, which we present as our frontispiece, is a noble fruit - by far the finest, as we think, of all long-keeping varieties. That it has attracted so little attention among amateur cultivators is really surprising; for it succeeds well here - quite as well as in France or Belgium, as far as we know of its being tested. The Pomological Society has not recommended it in any way, while they have placed on their lists other varieties of incomparably less value. For a few years past, however, it has been pretty well disseminated by the nurseries, and we shall very soon have some results from different parts of the country. We think it a fruit peculiarly adapted to the south; for it seems to endure dry and warm weather exceedingly well here, neither shedding its leaves nor fruit prematurely; and then it would keep up a supply for the table for months after the autumn Pears are gone, even if it were not to keep till April or May as it does here in the north. We must say, however, that according to our experience, it is larger, of finer quality, and ripens better, when grown on the Quince than on the Pear stock; and this is the case in Europe, too.

On the Pear stock the fruits seem not to receive a sufficiently liberal supply of nutriment to bring them up to the most perfect state; they are comparatively small, with large, gritty core, and instead of ripening off freely, and becoming buttery and melting, many of them shrivel and dry up, as Pears do that have been pre-maturely gathered. The Duchesse d'Angouleme is similar, to some extent; it is, according to our opinion, infinitely superior on the Quince. We therefore recommend its culture on the Quince stock, and that whether for market or for private use. The tree is a good grower, moderate at first, but if kept under high culture, it will produce annually very heavy crops. It has all the characteristics of a profitable variety.

EASTER, BEURRE PEAR.

Fruit - very large, roundish-obovate, often inclining to oval. Stalk - rather short, stout, and deeply inserted. Calyx - closed, slightly sunk in an irregular, plaited cavity. Skin - greenish-yellow, becoming quite yellow in good specimens, with numerous brown dots, and a brownish red cheek when exposed freely to the sun. Flesh - melting, juicy, with a sprightly vinous flavor. Tree - vigorous and erect, with bright reddish-brown shoots, sprinkled with russet dots. Leaves - large and folded. The wood of yearling shoots usually shows prominent buds or spurs on the lower parts the first season, and have a forked appearance by making a second growth, as the Beurre d'Aremberg and some others do.