26 JULY 1935, Page 19

t` WILLIAM OF THE PEARS "

• -- [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,:—Mr. E. L. Woodward, in his delightful article in your last issue, is unfortunately helping to perpetuate an error. . He speaks of " William of the pears " leaving out his surname, no doubt' taking his. cue from the fruiterer of today who,.alWays talks 'about a William pear. May I inform Mr. Woodward that the proper name of the pear is Williams's Bon Chretien, or as our old gardener used to say " holm cretian ? In my young days we used to refer to it, for short, as a Williams pear, which probably gave the impression of a possessive. case, from which error has arisen the modern faulty nonienelattire.