Vermont Beauty is supposed to have originated in the nursery of Benjamin Macomber, Grand Isle, Vermont, more than forty years ago. Macomber maintained a small nursery, and this pear was one of several hundreds planted for stock. The tree was budded in the usual manner, but the bud failed to grow, and the original tree was allowed to stand without another budding. After the variety fruited, it attracted so much attention that Macomber propagated it. Later, it was introduced by W. P. Rupert and Son, Seneca, New York. The American Pomological Society, recognizing its worth, added the variety to its fruit-catalog in 1899. There has long been doubt in the minds of the writers as to whether Vermont Beauty is distinct from Forelle. Careful comparison has been made of the fruit- and tree-characters of the two sorts, and it is found that they are so closely allied as to be indistinguishable. It is possible that a tree of the old German pear may have found its way into Macomber's nursery and received the new name. Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, hardy, productive; trunk stocky, shaggy; branches zigzag, reddish-brown, thinly overspread with gray scarf-skin, with numerous large lenticels; branchlets very thick, long, reddish-brown mingled with green, thickly covered with ash-gray scarf-skin near the tips, smooth, glabrous except near the ends of the new growth, sprinkled with numerous small, roundish, conspicuous, raised lenticels. Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long, 1-3/8 in. wide, leathery; apex abruptly-or taper-pointed; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous, slender, pinkish-green. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, singly on short spurs; flowers characteristically small, average 1 in. across, in dense clusters, about 6 buds in a cluster, the petals unusually small; pedicels 7/8 in. long, slender, pubescent. Fruit ripe in late October and November; medium in size, 2-1/2 in. long, 2 in. wide, obovate-acute-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 3/4 in. long, curved; cavity extremely small or lacking, the flesh folded up around the base of the stem, occasionally lipped; calyx small, open; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, smooth or with slight russet markings; color clear pale lemon-yellow, with a broad and brilliantly blushed cheek, fading at the sides into pinkish-red dots; dots numerous, very small, light russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, granular at the center but fine-grained near the skin, tender and melting, very juicy, with a rich, vinous flavor; quality very good. Core closed, axile, with meeting core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, plump, acute. [Illustration: VICAR OF WINKFIELD] VICAR OF WINKFIELD