66 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



produce of some seed of a cultivated tree, deposited by birds 

 or otherwise, which has degenerated into the wild spine- 

 bearing tree, known as Pyrus communis. 



The pear is found wild all over temperate Europe and in 

 western Asia, particularly in southern Caucasus, and the 

 north of Persia, 



Some botanical writers extend the habitat as far as China. 



The ancient lake dwellers of Switzerland, Savov and Lom- 

 bardy used pears, but much more rarely than apples. Their 

 pears appear to have been of small size, with very little 

 pulp, which may be partly due to the drying. Homer and 

 Theophrestus speak of the pear. The Romans grew it 

 largely in Pliny's time, and representations of pear trees in 

 fruit abound in the mural paintings at Pompeii. 



Prof. De Candolle regards the existence of the pear as not 

 only pre historic, but probably anterior to all cultivation 

 throughout the region extending from the north of Persia 

 to the western coasts of temperate Europe, especially at 

 higher altitudes. 



They have a native variety in the Alps of Austria called 

 the "snow pear," it being eaten when the snow lies on the 

 ground. In France they have a native variety called the 

 " sage pear, " from the resemblance of the leaves to those of 

 the sage pear. The leaves are much narrower, and the 

 fruit much longer than the common pear. The French make 

 a drink from the sage plant that they call perry. 



There are two views respecting the origin of the peach. 

 Prof, de Candolle attributes all cultivated varieties to a dis- 

 tinct species, probably of Chinese origin, and that adopted 

 by other naturalists- , but more especially by Darwin, who 

 looks upon the peacL as a modification of the almond. 



The peach, as we now know it, has been nowhere recog- 

 nized in ihe wild state. In the few instances where it is said 

 to have been found wild, the probabilities are that the tree 

 was an escape from cultivation. 



Atchison, however, gathered in a ravine in Afghanistan, 

 a form with different shaped fruit from that of the almond, 

 being larger and flatter. The surface of the fruit he ob- 

 serves, resembles that of the peach in texture and color, and 



