410 THE PAEKS AND GARDENS OF PARIS. [Chap. XXIV. 



growing Pears. They grow useless shrubs and weedy trees in many 

 places where the finest fruit might be grown with little trouble 

 beyond that of gathering it ; there are numbers of farmers, who 

 hardly ever see a good fruit of this kind, in possession of lines of 

 hedgerow where the trees would grow as healthfully from among 

 the lower brushwood as any subject that now embellishes them ; 

 and there are many owners of gardens, who now go to market for 

 their fruit, who might gather it from places in their little 

 shrubberies at present entirely devoted to miserable bushes of 

 Privet. I know well the kind of objection that is made to some 

 of these suggestions — the boys would gather the fruit, etc. Little 

 blame to the boys for making an occasional raid on the little fruit 

 that comes in their way, but if the fruit were as plentiful as it 

 might be they would not be so troublesome. 



There is another aspect of the question which may also well 

 commend the growth of Pears and other hardy fruits in ground 

 now profitless. It is often thought that Nature is usually 

 sparing of leaf-beauty where the flower is highly ornamental, and 

 stingy with flowers where leaves assume large proportions and 

 elegant outlines ; and, to a smaller extent, that she is apt to 

 bestow her favours in a like way as regards fruit. Nothing can 

 be further from the fact than this supposition. When we 

 consider the flowering charms of the greater portion of our fruit- 

 trees, we ask Why are they not more planted for the sake of their 

 beauty alone ? Take the Apple in its countless varieties, and 

 consider that, if it did not give such crops of fruit, beautiful to 

 look upon, and more delicious in flavour than half the boasted 

 fruits of the tropics, it would be sought after for the sake of its 

 blushing flowers, which turn the orchard into fairyland. But it 

 happens to bear fruit of various colours, sizes, and flavours, and, 

 of course, that is a reason why we have hitherto not employed 

 such a beautiful hardy tree in the pleasure-garden. Then we 

 have the Pear, which comes in earlier, and furnishes snowy masses 

 of bloom ; and with a more picturesque and handsome habit than 

 the apple. From nearly every hardy fruit we may reap a like 

 harvest of floral beauty — Almonds, Apricots, Cherries, Crabs, 

 Medlars, Peaches, Plums, and Quinces, being all more or less 

 ornamental. And as perhaps some curious persons here and 

 there may not object to plant beautiful flowering fruit-trees 



