HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



II 



Note its formation : the layer next the cortical ground 

 tissue is composed of bast-fibres, or hard-bast ; ob- 

 serve its appearance ; adjoining this is soft-bast ; or 

 the phloem is made up of liard and soft-bast. In 

 tlie butcher's broom it is very distinct, the bright- 

 looking portion is soft-bast, and the darker part bast- 

 fibres ; all the ditliculty will vanish in the longitu- 

 dinal sections we purpose giving next month. 



The numbers in the lime section refer to fig. 12. 



Fig. 13 explains the section of the stem of the 

 butcher's-broom. 



Now we come to a section of the stem of an 



Fig. 16. — Part of Vu.>cular bundle of Fteris. i. Xylem in 

 the centre of the bundle, formed of scalariform vessels. 

 2. Sieve-tubes. 3. Phloem, surroundini? the xylem, though 

 encircled by 4, or bundle-sheath. 5. Packing parenchyma, 

 or ground tissue. 



Acotyledonous plant (fig. 15) ; note the important 

 difference from the Ruscus, which is a Monoco- 

 tyledon. 



The fern stem has an important structural com- 

 position ; the annexed numbers should be read up for 

 home lessons (fig. 15). 



Now observe the fibro-vascular bundle of Pteris 

 more highly magnified (fig. 16). 



( To be continued.) ^• 



Herons. — I was lately laughed at by an eminent 

 naturalist for believing the country people when they 

 told me that herons sit upon their nest with a leg 

 hanging down at each side. My son coming home on 

 leave from Alderney tells me he met there an excel- 

 lent amateur naturalist who collects and stuffs birds, 

 and lately pointed out to him a specimen of the great 

 northern diver approaching the island. This person 

 told him he had frequently seen herons hatching their 

 eggs in the above-mentioned strange position, and 

 that my informants were perfectly correct. — F. I. B. 



HISTORY OF THE PEAR-TREE {PYRUS 

 COMMUNIS). 



By H. G. Glasspoole. 



\Contititied from Jiage 254.] 



JOHNSON, in his improved edition of " Gerard's 

 Herbal," in 1596, adds : Most of the pears are 

 at this day to be had with Mr. John Miller in Old 

 Street, in whose nursery are to be found the choicest 

 fruits this kingdom yields. Shakespeare mentions 

 only two varieties of pears in his plays, the warden 

 and popering, and from him we find that the 

 first named was used in pies, as the clown in the 

 " Winter's Tale " says : I must have Saffron to colour 

 the warden pies (Act iv. s. 2). This fruit was also 

 known by the name of the Lukeward's pear, as perhaps 

 the time when it was fit for gathering was near St. 

 Luke's Day (iSthof October). The popering pear 

 mentioned in " Romeo and Juliet " (Act ii. s. i), and 

 described by Parkinson, is most likely of Flemish 

 origin, may have been introduced by the antiquary 

 Leland, who was presented to the rectory of Popeling. 

 situated in the marches of Calls by Henry VIII. 

 (1530) ; vide " Plant-lore of Shakespeare." There 

 appear to have been about two hundred and fifty 

 varieties of pears known in Philipo Miller's time 

 ( 1 724) from which he selects seventy or eighty, as the 

 best. During the last one hundred years great changes 

 have taken place in the cultivation of this fruit, and 

 the varieties which now grace our tables are far 

 superior to those which our forefathers delighted to 

 honour. 



Most of our fine pears are of continental origin ; 

 the horticulturists of France and Belgium in former 

 years paid more attention to this species of fruit than 

 those of England. Belgium, indeed, has been 

 termed the " Eden of the pear-tree," for to Professor 

 Van Mons, of Brussels, who devoted a great part of 

 his life to pears and their improvement, having raised 

 eighty thousand seedlings, are we indebted for some 

 of the most finest varieties we possess. The common 

 Begarmot is supposed by pomologists to be one of 

 our oldest pears. The name was formerly written 

 Begarmont princely pear, which, according to Manger, 

 is derived from the Turkish beg, or bey, a prince ; and 

 armond, a pear, clearly pointing out its eastern origin. 

 Another ancient variety, and one which is still 

 common in England, is the Bon Chretien ; the origin 

 of its name is thus related by Soyer in his " History 

 of Food." Louis XL, King of France, had sent for 

 Saint Franfois de Paule, from the lower part of 

 Calabria, in hopes of recovering his health through 

 his intercession ; the saint brought with him the 

 seeds of this pear, and as he was called at court. 

 Le Bon Chretien, this fruit received the name of him 

 to whom France owed its introduction. The name 

 of this pear has been corrupted by popular English 



