HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



253 



their larvae being -svliat I have most frequently 

 observed." 



Yarrell, in his "British Birds," vol. i. p. 195, says 

 that he never saw the bird alive ; but he quotes Mr. 

 Macgillivray, who declares that he examined the 

 contents of the stomach of the dipper on various 

 occasions, and found only beetles and the animals of 

 freshwater shells, belonging to the genera Lymnea 



and Ancylus, &c. 



R. D. Kerr. 



HISTORY OF THE PEAR-TREE {,PYRUS 

 COMMUNIS). 



By H. G. Glasspoole. 



THE pear as a fruit stands next in popularity to 

 the apple, and has, like it, been known and 

 cultivated from time immemorial. It is mentioned 

 by the earliest writers as a fruit growing abundantly 

 in Syria, Egypt, as well as Greece, and it appears to 

 have been brought into Italy from these places about 

 the time that Sylla made himself master of the latter 

 country (68 B.C.) and from thence it spread over 

 Europe to Britain. Homer mentions the "pendent 

 pear " as one of the fruits of the orchard of Laertes 

 (Odys. 24 B. 289 1.). Theophrastus often speaks in 

 praise of them and of the great productiveness of old 

 pear-trees in his works. That learned physician of 

 ancient times, Galen, considered pears as containing 

 in a greater degree more strengthening and astringent 

 virtues than apples. The Greeks and Romans had 

 several kinds of pears whose names included their 

 taste and form. Pliny describes about forty varieties 

 cultivated in Italy. Of all pears, he says, the Crustu- 

 mine is the most delicate and agreeable ; this fruit 

 Columella places first in his catalogue. Then there 

 was the Falernian pear, which was esteemed for its 

 abundant juice, which Pliny compares to wine. The 

 Tiberian pears were so named because they -\Vere the 

 sort Tiberius the emperor preferred, and they grew 

 to a larger size than most pears ; others were named 

 after the persons who had introduced or cultivated 

 them. Some, Pliny tells us, are reproached with the 

 name of proud pears, because they ripened early and 

 would not keep. There were also winter pears, 

 pears for baking, etc., as in the present day. Never- 

 theless, I'liny did not consider this fruit in an un- 

 cooked state good for the constitution, for he states all 

 pears whatsoever are but a heavy meat, even to those 

 in good health, unless boiled or baked with honey, 

 when they become extremely wholesome to the 

 stomach. Some pears were used as a counter-poison 

 against venomous mushrooms ; the ashes of the pear- 

 tree wood were also used for the same medical pur- 

 pose. The ancients appear to have had a curious 

 notion respecting the effect of this fruit on beasts of 

 burden, for Pliny tells us a load of apples or pears, 

 however small, is singularly fatiguing to them ; the 



best way to counteract this they say is to give the 

 animals some to eat, or at least show them the fruit 

 before starting. Virgil speaks of pears which he had 

 from Cato. 



At what period the cultured pear was first brought 

 into Britain we have no account, but we may believe 

 that the Romans did not neglect the propagation of 

 this fruit when they were masters of the country, and 

 that in after times the monks paid great attention to 

 its varieties. There is a tradition that King John 

 was poisoned with a dish of pears by the monks of 

 Swinstead Abbey. The poet Chaucer mentions 

 this fruit in the Marchantes Tale, v. 1035. ^^ 'he 

 reign of Edward III. we are told by Fosbrooke that 

 Lord Berkeley sent a dish of pears from Berkeley to 

 Ludlow to his mother-in-law Lady Mortimer, " pro 

 novitate fructus " (vide Fosbrooke's "Berkeley 

 Family ") ; perhaps these were somenew variety intro- 

 duced at that period. In an old book of the household 

 account of Henry VIII. there is an item of 2.d. to an 

 old woman who guff the kyng peres, and another of 

 3^. 4(/. for warders and medlars. Sir T. Elyott who 

 wrote his " Casket of Health " in this monarch's reign 

 (1541), says pei'es are moche of the nature of apples, 

 but they are heuyer, taken after meate rosted or 

 beaten they are not unwholsome. The warden, or 

 baking pear, so named it is said from its keeping 

 properties, is one of the oldest known varieties. Mrs. 

 B. Bernard, in " Our Common Fruits," tells us, that 

 it was extensively cultivated by the "monks of old." 

 An ancient medical authority affirms that " the red 

 warden is of great virtue to quench choler," but as 

 this authoress says, it " would be libellous to suppose 

 that cloistered serenity would itself require the fruit 

 on this account. Imagination is free to picture the 

 benevolent recluses sending round a basket of pears 

 to any notedly fiery spirits in the neighbourhood as 

 modern good people might distribute a bundle of 

 tracts." 



William BuUeyn, who lived during the reigns of 

 Edward VI. and Mary, in his "Doctor's Book of 

 Simples," writing on pears, says, "There is a kyind 

 of peares growing in the city of Norwich called the 

 Blackfriars peare, very delicious and pleasant, and no 

 less profitable unto a houte stomache, as I heard it 

 reported by a ryghte worshipful physician of the same 

 city called Doctour Manfield." Other pears too are 

 mentioned, such as have names ' ' a peare Robert, peare 

 John Bishops blessyngs," with other pretty names. 



Gerard enumerates several kinds of " tame peares," 

 and also mentions some called choke pears, but he 

 adds, "to write of this fruit and of apples would require 

 a particular volume, every country hath its own pecu- 

 liar fruit ; myself knowe some one curious who hath 

 in one piece of ground, at the point of three-score 

 sundrie sorts of pears, and those exceeding good, not 

 doubting but if his mode had been to seek after 

 multitudes he might have gotten together the like 

 number of these worse kindes. Master Richard 



