78 PEAR-TREE AT HOLME LACY. [MaVCh, 



In addition to the above, John Lloyd informed us that he first 

 became acquainted with this tree in the year 1823 ; and he was 

 informed that in favourable years its produce was about twenty 

 hogsheads of perry, containing one hundred gallons each. The 

 same kind correspondent sends an account of the same tree from 

 an old friend of his. His letter is also printed verbatim. 



"Clapliam Common, 31st January, 1861. 



" My dear Sir, — I have obtained some more information con- 

 cerning the Holme Lacy Pear-tree, from the landlord of the Stag 

 and Spring Well tavern, Wandsworth-road, near Chandler's nur- 

 sery, who informs me that the tree, which covers a quarter of an 

 acre of land, stood originally in the parson's garden, but crawled 

 over the hedge into a meadow adjacent. Twenty-one hogsheads 

 of perry have been made from it in one season. It is a wild or 

 nondescript pear, small and green, and so astringent as to be un- 

 eatable. It does not produce good perry, only what they term 

 in Herefordshire family drink. Now the worst remains to be 

 told. Some years ago the incumbent of the parish died, and his 

 successor, wishing to make a substantial fence to his garden, cut 

 and mangled the tree in a sad manner. 



'^ Mr. Bluck, my informant, who is a very intelligent man, says 

 he can clasp the original stem within about a foot ; he further 

 informs me that there is a younger Pear-tree standing in a mea- 

 dow belonging to a farm near the church, and this one shows 

 the same Banyan propensities ; and further, that there is a full 

 account of the tree in Buncombe's ' History of Herefordshire.' 



" I hope, when you publish the account of the tree, you will 

 speak of his Reverence's Vandalism in the way it deserves, and 

 you will oblige the cider and perry drinkers of the whole county. 



" The most remarkable fact in connection with this giant of 

 the orchard is the enormous quantity of pears which it has been 

 known to produce in one year. At the time above mentioned, 

 Mr. Wellington, who then held the situation of gardener at 

 Holme Lacy Court, informed me that three years previous, twenty 

 hogsheads of perry were made from it. A customary local hogs- 

 head holds about ninety-five gallons, Imperial measure ; so if we 

 multiply these two niimbers together, we shall have a product of 

 1900 gallons. Herefordshire farmers calculate their seventeen 

 bushels of pears (if they are of good quality) will, when ground 



