I regret that I am obliged, in justice to myself, to address a few lines to you, Mr. Editor, for publication in your journal, in reply to some remarks that Mr. C M Hovey has thought proper to make, on the 59th page of the Magazine of Horticulture for the present year, viz:

Diller Pear

Two years ago, this was thought one of the finest Pears. Mr. Walker, of Roxbury, then declared that the 'sight of it was enough to make your mouth water.' We never saw it It is now rejected from the list that promise well How a Pear in two years could fall off from 'one of the best Pears ever tasted'to a rejected variety, is somewhat surprising to us".

Now, Mr. Editor, it having been the pleasure of Mr. Hovey thus to bring my humble self before his readers, with the intention, as it appears to me, to show that I was ignorant of the qualities that constitute a good Pear, or that I made a statement which I knew was not true; and further, that as Mr. Hovey has not given all the facts in the case, but has designedly, I think, omitted important parts of the records; I can not remain silent, although I assure Mr. Hovey I hare no desire to enter into any controversy. I shall therefore give the facts, as I find them recorded in the published proceedings of the American Pomological Society, together with such other brief remarks as I may think necessary; and leave the matter with other persons who may be as competent to judge of the Diller Pear as Mr. Hovey or myself.

Early in the session of the American Pomological Society at Philadelphia, on the 13th of September, 1852, (p. 16, Transactions of 1852,) the following gentlemen were appointed the Committee on Synonyms, viz: Messrs. Walker, of Massachusetts; Hovey, Massachusetts; Barry, New York; Young, Kentucky; Downing, New York; Saul, New York; and Ernst, Ohio. And to facilitate the duties of the committee, the members of the society were requested to place in the committee-room specimens of all the fruit on which they had any doubt as to their true names. Dr. Eshleman placed before the committee specimens of the so-called Diller Pear. The Pear was unknown to all the members of the committee; but, alter tasting it, the Pear was pronounced "best" * I recollect how the juice of this Pear followed the knife, as I cut it up for the committee; and it was with these impressions fresh on my mind, and the refreshing nectar still on my tongue, that I gave utterance to the expression, "A sight of it is enough to make your mouth water." But I am going too fast On the 86th page of the Transactions of 1852 will be found as follows:

" Dr. ESHLEMAN, of Pennsylvania - I move that the Diller Pear be placed on the list as worthy of trial Report says it was imported from Germany by the Dillier family many years ago, and the tree is still standing.

"Mr. Walker, of Massachusetts - A sight of it is enough to make your month water. I am ready to state it is one of the very best Pears I ever tasted; and am also pleased to state it is a native of Pennsylvania.

"Mr. Saul, of New York - That was the unanimous opinion of the whole committee, and several other gentleman who were present.

" The question being put, the affirmative vote was unanimous".

The next account we have of the Diller Pear, is from the State Fruit Committee of Pennsylvania, signed by Thomas P. James, (Proceedings 1854, p. 84).

"Diller - From Dr. J. K. Eshleman, Lancaster county, flesh - somewhat granular, buttery; possessing a fine perfumed flavor. Quality - very good".

At page 141 we have as follows.

"Dr. Eshleman, of Pennsylvania - It [the Diller Pear] has not sustained the reputation it formerly had. It is much less in size, and apparently quite different The branches are disposed to be blighted in spots. I have "my doubts about its success in general culture. It has uniformly sustained a high reputation in its neighborhood.

"Mr. Hancock, of New Jersey - I have the Pear. The tree cankers very much in the wood. Occasionally it is very good.

"It was voted to strike it from the list"

This vote of the society removed the Diller from the list that promise well, but it by no means places the Diller as "a rejected variety" but leaves the Pear where we found it, in the hands of its friends. If I correctly understand the remarks of Dr. Eshleman and Mr. Hancock, their objection to the Diller was rather to the canker of the wood than to the fruit I spoke of the fruit of the Diller; so did the whole committee, including Mr. Hovey; and so did the several gentlemen who were present with the committee, and tasted the fruit.

The very captious and imperfect manner in which Mr. Hovey has thought proper to introduce the Diller Pear to his readers, and indeed such other parts of the proceedings of the American Pomological Society as he has thought proper to publish, constrains me to make some further remarks.

* We remember very well tasting this Pear in the committee-room at Philadelphia, and considered it Justly entitled to rank as "best" - Ed.

If I had over-stated the qualities of the Diller Pear, or had the committee (of which Mr. Hovey was a member) over-rated it, and the gentlemen who tasted the Diller had erred in their judgment, - if we had all been mistaken - and the facts prove we were not, - I ask, should these opinions, freely and honestly expressed, before friends, have been the subject of censorious comments ! I think not Mr. Hovey, however, has thought and acted otherwise. I therefore feel at liberty to introduce to the notice of Mr. Hovey the following statements made by him, which may now appear as surprising to him as they ever have appeared "surprising to us".

In the magazine published by Hovey & Co., I find the following descriptions by Mr. C. M. Hovey:

Madotte Pear

"Large size, beautiful in form and color; even superior to the Duchesse d'Angouleme, as M. Marzah informed Mr. Kenrick. It is equally as large as the latter variety, but not so broad, and of finer form." - Vol. 8, p. 166.

Bouequia Pear (With An Outline)

"Flesh - yellowish-white, tender, melting, sweet, and rich. Flavor - high, perfumed, delicious." - VoL 9, p. 134.

Las Canas Pear (With An Outline)

" It has much of the character of the Tyson and Rostiezer. Flesh - yellowish-white, fine, melting, and very juicy. Flavor - rich and saccharine, with a high, delicious aroma." - Vol. 15, p. 197.

Locke Pear (With An Outline)

"The Locke, like many other native sorts, has been forgotten, and its place usurped by foreign varieties not possessing a tithe of its merits. Flesh - yellowish-white, coarse, melting, and juicy. Flavor - rich, sweet, perfumed, and excellent" - Vol 15, page 342.

I have a list of several other varieties of Pears equally as well described by Mr. Hovey as fine, delicious, etc., which, together with the Madotte, Bouequia, Lot Canas, and Locke, have found their proper places, by the votes of the American Pomological Society, in the list of " Rejected Fruits." Samuel Walker. - Roxbury, Maes.