1861.] PEAR-TREE AT HOLME LACY. 11 



wide, closely built together. Seven hogsheads is the greatest 

 quantity made lately, and 20 bushels make a hogshead. Fifty 

 feet is about the height ; and five of the largest trunks measure 

 8 feet, 8 feet 6^-1 1^ in., 8 ft. 9 in. in circumference; and at the 

 present time they cover 1850 square yards. 



" I ought to add, the soil is rich alluvial, about three hundred 

 yards from the river Wye, and only a few yards above its level. 



" The following is an account of the large Pear-tree at Holme 

 Lacy, from the pen of the Rev. Mr. Green, as it appeared in a 

 local paper, 1858 : — 



" ' This tree consists of eighteen immense branches, proceeding in all 

 directions, as from a common centre, and lying upon the ground, appear 

 to have broken themselves off, in consequence of their great length and 

 weight, from an original parent stem. At first only partly separating, they 

 seem eventually to have become rooted at the fii'st point of contact with 

 the earth, and then completing the separation, and rising again from the 

 earth in a peculiarly twisted shape, each branch has at length attained the 

 bulk of an ordinary tree. Although much of the tree has been cut away 

 by former residents at the vicarage, the ground still covered by it measures 

 fifty-seven yards in one direction, and in another, at about right-angles 

 with it, sixty-nine yards. 



"'The Eev. J. Green has, however, traced it 65 yards in one direction, 

 and 103 yards in another, thus showing that at one time about 6695 

 square yards must have been covered by this enormous tree.' 



" Sir E. Scudamore Stanhope, my employer, has kindly fur- 

 nished me with the above. The following I extract from a ' His- 

 tory of Herefordshire :' — 



" ' Near the parsonage house is a remarkable Pear-tree, covering a large 

 space of ground, and forming an orchard of itself, which, according to re- 

 cords dated 1776, yielded from fourteen to sixteen hogsheads of peny, of 

 a hundred gallons each, and is accounted for as follows : — A large branch 

 having been broken by the wind, its head fell to the ground, the butt still 

 adhering to the trunk. Some time after it appeared to have struck into 

 the ground, taken root, and formed a scion. Willing to encourage this 

 lums naturae^ the incumbent gave orders for other layers to be made from 

 the tree in a similar manner, which became rooted, and bore fruit.' 



" If I have omitted anything you would wish to know, please 

 to say. I believe these statements to be correct. 



" Yours faithfully, 



"Samuel Wells.'* 



