THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 43 



the remnant of an old tree with a trunk four feet in diameter, and still 

 producing fruit. 



" The Orange pear tree which produced the specimens exhibited, was 

 inherited by the present owner from his father, to whom it came from his 

 wife. It had descended to her almost from the first settlement of Salem, 

 but partly in the female line, so that the name of the owner sometimes 

 changed. The house on the estate was built in 1812, having replaced one 

 which was pvilled down after standing 150 years. Within the period of a 

 generation there were standing in Salem several trees of the Orange pear, 

 some of which were reputed to be more than two centuries old, and all of 

 which were undoubtedly very ancient, but they are all now gone except 

 Capt. Allen's, the last one having been blown down in the winter of 1874-75. 

 I have heard a tradition that this last mentioned tree was one of several 

 imported from England and planted in gardens at intervals on the northerly 

 side of the principal street in Salem. This tradition may or may not be 

 true with regard to these trees, but it would not apply to the Allen tree, for 

 the height at which it was grafted forbids the idea that it was imported 

 from England in a grafted state. 



" The Anthony Thacher Pear. This tree stands near the meadows 

 about a fourth of a mile north of the Universalist church in Yarmouth, 

 where Anthony Thacher's house formerly stood. It is a large, rotten- 

 hearted old tree. It has lost nearly all its old branches, but has thrown 

 out many new ones. The late Judge George Thacher, who, if now living, 

 would be 120 years old, inquired into its histor>^ and made the matter cer- 

 tain that it was planted by Anthony Thacher about 1640. It is believed 

 to be a grafted tree, as it contracts two or three inches at about a foot and a 

 half from the ground. It is taken good care of and will probably last many 

 years. It is now owned by the heirs of James C. Hallet. There are other 

 trees of the same kind in the vicinity, but their age cannot be proved. 



" The fruit is of medium size, ovate pyriform, green, changing to 

 yellow at maturity, of tolerable quality, ripening early in September. 

 For the specimens exhibited, as well as the facts above noted, I am indebted 

 to the kindness of Amos Otis, Esq., of Yarmouth Port, who had made the 

 local history of Cape Cod his study for the last fifty years, and who died 

 much lamented on the 19th of October last. 



" Anthony Thacher came from England in 1635, and after residing 

 in iMarshfield, removed to Yarmouth in 1639, being one of the three original 

 grantees of land in that town. The late Dr. James Thacher, of Plymouth, 

 author of the ' American Orchardist ' (pubHshed in 1821), was a descend- 

 ant of Anthony in the sixth generation. Anthony Thacher accompanied 

 his cousin. Rev. John Avery, in that disastrous voyage of which Whittier 

 has perpetuated the memory in his ballad, ' The Swan Song of Parson 

 Avery.' Anthony Thacher got ashore on Thacher's Island, the headland 



