CHAP. XLII. ROSA‘CEX. PY‘RUS. 883 
that country. All these have been collected by the London Horticultural 
Society, Mr. Braddick, and some other persons; and most of them have been 
proved in the Horticultural Society’s Garden: a Herculean task, which has 
been commenced on sound principles, judiciously pursued, and successfully 
accomplished ; and the credit of which is due to Mr. Sabine. The number of 
names of pears in the Horticultural Society’s Fruit Catalogue, published in 
1831, exclusive of synonymes, is 677; which number may be considered as 
including all the best sorts then known, but to which additions are making 
annually. For selections of these sorts suited to the various purposes of 
fruit-growers, we refer to the Gardener’s Magazine, vol. xi. p. 34.; to the En- 
cyclopedia of Gardening, edit. 1835, § 4840.; and to the lists of pear trees in 
our Suburban Gardener. 
Properties and Uses. The wood of the wild pear is heavy, strong, compact, 
of a fine grain, and slightly tinged with red. It weighs, green, 79 lb. 5 oz. per 
cubic foot ; and, when dry, from 49 |b. to 53lb. This wood, in common 
with that of all the Rosacez, is liable to have its natural colour changed by 
steeping it in water ; which ought, therefore, to be avoided when it is intended 
for particular purposes. It is readily stained black, and then so closely resem- 
bles ebony as to be scarcely distinguishable from it. According to Du Hamel, 
it is, next to the true service (P. Sérbus doméstica), the best wood that can 
be employed by wood engravers ; which use Gerard also seems to hint at when 
he says it “likewise serveth to be cut into many kindes of moulds; not only 
such prints as these figures are made of, but also many sorts of pretty toies, 
for coifes, brest-plates, and such like, vsed among our English gentlewomen.” 
(p- 1459.) For the wood engraver, however, it is far inferior to the box ; 
though it is allowed to be very hard and homogeneous, and yet easy to cut, 
and, when perfectly dry, not liable either to crack, or to warp. For coarse 
engravings on wood, such as large plans, &c., we have no doubt that it would 
succeed perfectly. When it can be obtained, it is much used by turners and 
pattern makers ; also for joiners’ tools, and to make various articles which are 
dyed black in imitation of ebony. As fuel, the wood of the pear is excellent, 
producing a vivid and durable flame, accompanied by intense heat. It also 
makes excellent charcoal. The leaves, according to Withering, afford a yellow 
dye, and may be used to give agreen to blue cloths. 
The great use of the pear tree, however, is as a fruit tree. The fruit-is used 
in the dessert, and for stewing and preserving. It is also occasionally used in 
tarts, though very inferior for this purpose to apples. In France and Belgium, 
the fruit is very generally dried in ovens, in which state it forms an article of 
commerce both domestic and foreign, and will keep a year. It is also dried in 
this manner in Russia ; and, when stewed, is excellent, either as a substitute for 
pies and puddings, or as forming part of the dessert. Pears are dried in 
France in two ways: one, for family use, by putting them, without their being 
pared, into an oven, after the bread is drawn, either on the bricks, or on 
raised frames of tin or boards. The pears are put in two, three, and some- 
times even four times, according to their size, and to the degree of heat that 
there is in the oven. The only things that it is necessary to attend to are, to 
take care that the oven is not so hot as to burn the pears, and that they are 
not left in so long as to make them hard. Melting sugary pears, of the 
middle size, are the best for this purpose ; and, when properly prepared, they 
may be kept in bags, in a dry place, for several years. The second mode is 
that used for preparing the pears sold in boxes at the grocers’ shops; and 
rather small pears are considered best. They must be gathered before they 
are quite ripe, and care taken to preserve the stalk. They are then parboiled 
in very little water, peeled, and placed on dishes with the stalks uppermost. 
In this state a kind of syrup runs from them, which must be carefully poured 
off, and set on one side. They are next placed on raised frames, and put into 
an oven after the bread has been drawn, or heated to a similar degree, and left 
there 12 hours; after which they are taken out and steeped in the syrup, 
which has been sweetened with sugar, to which have been added a little cinna- 
3N3 
