For many centuries Balosse has been grown in France on the banks of the Marne, especially in the neighborhood of Châlons where there existed in 1862 a specimen which was considered to be more than 300 years of age. On account of its abundant crops yielded without cultivation, the tree has been a favorite with the farmers of France. Fruit moderate size, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, orange-yellow dotted with fawn, washed with dull red on the side to the sun; flesh whitish, coarse, breaking, gritty, juicy, saccharine; second for the table, first for the kitchen; Jan. to April. =Balsambirne.= =1.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:15. 1856. Raised from seed in the old German duchy of Franconia in 1801. Fruit medium, pyriform, yellow, blushed and russeted; flesh firm, juicy, mild and tender, musky; first for dessert and household; Aug. =Bankerbine.= =1.= Elliott _Fr. Book_ 349. 1854. Said to be of foreign origin. Fruit medium, obovate, greenish-yellow, with small, russet dots; flesh breaking, coarse; Oct. =Banks.= =1.= _Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 45. 1866. A seedling raised by Dr. S. A. Shurtleff, Brookline, Mass., which first fruited in 1863. Fruit 2-3/4 in. in diameter, turbinate, rich yellow, with sunny side bright red; flesh melting, juicy, very sweet, with much character; keeps remarkably for an early pear, valuable for its great beauty and fine qualities and time of ripening; Aug. =Baptiste Valette.= =1.= _Guide Prat._ 85. 1895. Fruit medium; flesh white, buttery, very fine, melting, juicy; matures early in the season. Tree vigorous, fertile, and pyramidal in form. =Barbancinet.= =1.= _Mag. Hort._ =26=:126. 1860. =2.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:177, fig. 1867. Found by Leroy in 1849 in the commune of Saulgé-l'Hôpital, Maine-et-Loire, Fr., and was introduced by him in 1852. Fruit medium, long, slightly obtuse, irregular pyriform, contorted at the upper end, greenish, mottled and dotted with fawn, washed with rose on the side to the sun; flesh greenish, melting, fine, rather gritty around the core; juice sufficient, acidulous, saccharine, with a pleasant buttery flavor; first; Sept. =Barbe Nélis.= =1.= Mas _Le Verger_ =2=:63, fig. 30. 1866-73. =2.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:178, fig. 1867. M. Grégoire, Jodoigne, Bel., obtained this variety in 1848. Fruit small to medium, globular-turbinate-obtuse, bright greenish-yellow dotted with gray and fawn, the basic green becoming lemon-yellow at maturity and washed with purple-red on the side exposed to the sun; flesh white, fine, very melting; juice saccharine, acidulous, and agreeably perfumed; first; Aug. =Barker.= =1.= Hooper _W. Fr. Book_ 121. 1857. An American variety introduced about 1856. Fruit medium, obovate, greenish-yellow; medium quality both for table and kitchen use; coarse; Sept. and Oct. =Barland.= =1.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._ 414, 1831. =2.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 489. 1884.