208 PERRY PEARS. 



Tuffley, who attained the age of nearly loo years, and the tree 

 itself is now rapidly approaching that age. 



Description. — Fruit : small and hard, irregular in size and 

 shape, but usually roundish turbinate, flattened towards the eye, 

 and larger on one side than the other. Skin : hard, of a dark 

 green colour, with a reddish brown tint towards the sun, and 

 spotted all over with minute spots of russet. Eye : small and 

 closed, slightly depressed. Stalk : stout, half an inch long, and 

 inserted in an irregular cavity. Flesh : hard, rough, acid, and 

 astringent in taste, neither juicy, nor very sweet. Juice : full 

 flavoured, of deep amber colour, viscid and very astringent. 



The chemical analysis of the juice of the Rock Pear (season 

 1882), by Mr. G. H. With, F.R.A.S., F.C.S., Trinity College, 

 Dubhn, gave the following results : — 



Density of fresh juice ... ... i'075 



Ditto after 24 hours' exposure to air ... i'o84 

 100 parts of juice by weight, yielded of 



Sugar ... ... ... ... 1 7 '600 



Tannin, Mucilage, Salts, &c. ... ... 4 '150 



Water ... ... ... ... 78-250 



This analysis proves the very great value of this fruit. " It is 

 a Foxwhelp amongst pears " said the analyst, without knowing 

 anything of its character in the Orchard. 



The Perry made from the Rock Pear has a rich, full, and rough 

 flavour, of so much strength that it is said, " a man cannot drink 

 enough of it to quench thirst, without incurring the risk of intoxi- 

 cation." Thirty-five or forty, three peck kipes of fruit, or in less 

 local words, from twenty-six to thirty-two bushels, would be required 

 to make a hogshead of clean Perry. In consequence of its great 

 strength it is very rarely used alone, but it is a very valuable variety 

 to mix with free running pears with an inferior quality of juice. 



The trees are hardy, of good habit, and with well shaped 

 heads of upright growth. The blossom is late, and a good crop of 

 fruit may be looked for every other year with tolerable certainty. 

 It is a very late pear, and the fruit will hang on the trees until all 

 the leaves are down, if allowed to do so. 



