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The growth of the Teignton Squash resembles very closely that of the Longland, 
a variety which is still flourishing, and of all pears I should call the farmer’s 
friend, as its fruit keeps fairly and makes very good perry, while to the housewife, 
nothing can exceed it as a stewing pear in richness and colour, before the Catillac 
and other late stewing pears come into season. The Oldfield, however, is the best 
pear we have, whether its fecundity, or the lasting qualities of its fruit or perry 
is considered. Evelyn mentions in his day (1706) a gentleman who had some 
bottles of Oldfield perry brought him from a distance of 800 miles, that was 
over 40 years old, as rich and high flavoured as ever it was—a perfect Regale, he 
calls it. I can also endorse Evelyn’s eulogism, ‘‘ Penes auctorem fit fides,” as I 
have tasted some bottled perry from this variety over 40 years old, in perfect con- 
dition, made from my own glebe orchard from original trees, I do not hesitate in 
saying—although in full bearing—that are in their third century. These, however, 
Tregret to say, are isolated facts—the exception not the rule—as the description 
of Palladius holds good now-a-days as in his times centuries ago that perry, 
chiefly owing to its irrepressible fermentation, “‘hyeme durat sed prim& acescit 
zestate.” The most picturesque and popular, without doubt, is the venerable 
Barland, or Bareland, originally of Bosbury :—the same old lofty-growing trees 
we see now growing most probably filled the tankard of the Herefordshire farmer 
and his guests inthe 17th century. Itis more a sister beverage, a right sort of 
smoke-a-pipe perry (as an old right-sorted farmer himself described Foxwhelp 
cyder), than any other. Of dessert sorts of Historic pears, time will only allow 
of my mentioning two, the Easter Beurrt and Beurré Diel, and to find them a 
local and special history. These two varieties I have ascertained were shown at 
our last Pomological Exhibition in far larger quantities than any others, and 
both in their selection and production reflected great credit on their growers. 
Looking at the market price of fruit in Covent Garden Market a fortnight back 
and before the commencement of the London season, I found there two identical 
pears alone mentioned by name at what must be considered the highly remunera- 
tive price of 5s. to 12s. per dozen, while Blenheim and Ribston Pippins (again 
strange to record), shown at our exhibition both in far greater quantities than any 
other variety of apples, fetched from 12s. to 18s, per bushel. It is, I believe, well 
to comment on facts, like these, when in Herefordshire, the Orchard of England, 
so many tons of first quality fruit are suffered to perish through want of seasonable 
pruning, sheltering, or picking; or, still more unpardonable neglect of the sim- 
plest rules to be observed in subsequent hoarding. Thus, the home counties and 
Herefordshire, and even some parts of Yorkshire, who, as Phillipps sings, do not 
disdain to learn— 
“ How Nature’s gifts may be improved by art,” 
command a ready market ; while Herefordshire, with the finest natural advantages 
in the world, is obliged perfunctorily to depend upon the impecunious visits of the 
huckster for the sale for her immense surplus stock of what she has only to thank 
herself for being, pot-fruit or pit-fruit. 
As I must hurry on, I feel, to bring my paper to a close, I will only give you 
a list of the most celebrated of historic varieties of apples, making a few remarks 
