THE PEAE. 31 



ground, where they took root, and each became a new 

 tree, in turn similarly producing others. 



In Europe, "Western Asia, and China the pear is found 

 growing wild throughout as wide a range as the apple ; 

 but as the Crab will never grow except on tolerably good 

 soil, and its humbler sister is content with far poorer 

 accommodation, they are not often found in association. 

 The latter, too, displays a far greater power of adapting 

 itself to peculiarities of situation, a remarkable example 

 of which is aiforded by the Notched-leaved Pear, which 

 grows on the mountains of Upper Nepaul. "Nature 

 seems," says Dr. Lindley, in describing this plant, "to 

 have intended it to brave the utmost inclemency of cli- 

 mate, for in its own country in the earliest spring the 

 leaves, while still delicate and tender, are clothed with a 

 thick white coating of wool, and the flowers themselves 

 are so immersed in an ample covering of the same mate- 

 rial as to bid defiance to even Tartarean cold. But in 

 proportion as the extent of the distribution of the plant 

 descends towards the plains, or as the season of warm 

 weather advances, it throws off its fleecy coat, and at 

 length becomes as naked and as glittering with green as 

 the trees which have never had such rigour to endure." 

 In England, where it is grown for ornament, this tree 

 displays scarcely any woolliness, while, on the other hand, 

 in the woods of Poland and on the steppes of Russia the 

 leaves of the ordinary pear are mostly white and downy. 



The great orchardist, Rivers, remarks that the pear 

 seems to require a warm, moist climate, and that many 

 parts of France being too hot, and most parts of England 

 not hot enough, the island of Jersey, where a happy me- 

 dium is found, is probably the most favourable situation 

 for pear's in all Europe ; while it may perhaps be some 

 surprise to the many who look on vicinity to the metro- 

 polis as incompatible with flourishing vegetation, to hear 

 that next in suitability to this sea-girt pyral Paradise are 

 the low, moist situations immediately around London, 

 particularly near Rotherhithe, where, he says, the Jar- 

 gonelle and other fine pears may be said to attain the 

 highest possible perfection. 



