26 



THE FLORIST. 



torrj of Norfolk there is mention of a tenure in that county by petty 

 sergeanty, and the payment of two hundred Pearmains and four liogs- 

 heads of cider of Pearmains into the Exchequer, at the feast of St. 



Michael, yearly. It is the original of all the Pearmains, a name now 

 applied to a great variety of Apples. Much doubt has existed as to 

 the origin of this word ; and in a communication to the Gardener's 

 Chronicle for 1848, I there stated what I conceived to be its mean- 

 ing. The early forms in which it was written were Pearemaine and 

 Peare-maine. In some early historical works of the same period I 

 have seen Charlemagne written Charlemaine, the last portion of the 

 word having the same termination as Pearemaine. Now, Charle- 

 magne being derived from Carolus Magnus, there is every probability 

 that Pearemaine is derived from Pyrvs Magnus. The signification 

 therefore of Pearmain is the Great Pear Apple, in allusion, no doubt, 

 to the varieties known by that name bearing a resemblance to the 

 form of a Pear." 



It will be seen that the woodcuts are prepared with especial 

 regard to characteristic distinctness. The drawings were, we believe, 

 all made by Mr. Hogg himself, who has paid particular attention to 

 giving the natural expression and delineation of the eye ; a point on 

 which the correct determination of fruits much depends. 



