EXHIBITION PEARS Size is of importance as well as perfection in every point. Coarse pears of inferior quality rarely win. Choice must depend on the time of year when you compete. The same fruits cannot be sent to several shows; they are certain to be bruised and to suffer in some way. The following are the chief pears for exhibition:-- [Illustration: PEAR--MARÉCHAL DE LA COUR] _August and September._ Beacon. Souvenir du Congrès. Flemish Beauty. Clapp's Favourite. Bon Chrétien. Marguerite Marillat. _September and October._ B. d'Amanlis. Bonne d'Ezée or Brockworth Park. Beurré de l'Assomption. Triomphe de Vienne. _October._ B. Hardy. Marie Louise d'Uccle. D. Boussoch. B. Superfin. Louise Bonne. _October and November._ Beurré Alexandre Lucas. Maréchal de la Cour. Emile d'Heyst. D. du Comice. B. Diel. Pitmaston D. Beurré Fouqueray. Magnate. Duchesse d'Angoulême. Conference. Durondeau. Marie Louise. _November and December_. Thompson's. B. Sterkmans. Nouveau Poiteau. B. d'Anjou. Princess. Glou Morceau. Fondante de Thirriott. General Todleben. B. Baltet Père. _January, etc._ Nouvelle Fulvie. Passe Crassanne. Bergamotte Esperen. President Barabé. Olivier de Serres. Easter Beurré. B. Rance. COOKING PEARS FOR EXHIBITION _December and April._ Uvedale's St Germain. Bellissime d'Hiver. Catillac. Directeur Alphand. Verulam. Size is the chief point in cooking pears, then equality of excellence. Size is produced by careful culture and good feeding in good soil. The dates above are only approximate. PEARS FOR APPEARANCE [Illustration: PEAR--MARGUERITE MARILLAT] Doyenné Boussoch is perhaps the most handsome of all pears, but does not last long. Marguerite Marillat (September) is large and handsome, so are B. Clairgeau, B. Sterkmans, B. Mortillet, Souvenir du Congrès, B. Baltet Père (very turbinate), B. Giffard, B. Hardy, Louise Bonne, and others. PEARS FOR QUALITY Much depends on the season, soil and situation. In a cold season, even pears of good quality are only fit for cooking. Thus used, they are often excellent. The sweetest of all pears is Comte de Lamy. Dana's Hovey (of American origin) is perhaps its equal. D. du Comice, B. Hardy, Marie Louise, Josephine de Malines, Winter Nelis, Bon Chrétien, B. Superfin, Thompson's, Fondante d'Automne, are among the best. A warm autumn makes a vast difference. B. Diel then becomes first rate, so do Passe Crassanne, Olivier de Serres, Bergamotte Esperen, B. d'Anjou, B. Sterkmans, and others. COOKING PEARS