THE PEAE. 29 



howling," i. e. gathering in a circle round the trees to 

 shout in chorus, to the tune of a cow-horn, 



"Stand fast, roots; bear well, top; 

 Pray God send us a good howling crop ! 

 Every twig, apples big; 

 Every bough, apples enow; 

 Hats full, caps full, full quarter-sacks full." 



Perhaps there is not the faith there once may have been 

 in the efficacy of this process to secure good crops in the 

 next season, but, at least, it avails to gain an immediate 

 harvest of halfpence for the "howlers" from the owners 

 of the orchards, in whose behalf they have been perform- 

 ing so innocent an incantation. 



CHAPTEE II. 

 THE PEAE. 



SOFT sister of the firmer apple, the Pear displays so 

 marked a resemblance to its relative that the most un- 

 observant could scarcely fail to detect their kinship ; yet 

 is the difference between them sufficiently apparent on 

 very slight inspection, and sufficiently great to justify 

 Loudon in his wish that they may not always continue 

 to be classed together in the same genus, as they are now 

 by botanists too eminent for their decision to be disputed, 

 even when it does not give perfect satisfaction. To this 

 genus the pear has the honour of giving the name, being 

 termed the Pyrus communis, while the apple bears the 

 title of Pyrus mains . Albeit alike in some respects, the 

 trees may be distinguished in a moment by their leaves, 

 those of the apple being broader, very slightly serrated, 

 of a yellow-green colour, and hairy underneath, while the 

 dark green foliage of the pear is illiptical, more serrated, 

 and smooth on both sides, the upper surface being abso- 



