P YR 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



P Y R 



solitary, longer than the leaves, upright, bearing one flower, 

 of a white or slightly reddish colour, larger than in the other 

 species, of great elegance, possessing all the fragrance of the 

 Lily of the Valley. Native of woods in the northern parts 

 of Europe, in Germany, Carniola, and even the south of France, 

 and the north of Italy. It has been found in Fir woods 

 near Brodic-house in Moray; and on the islands of Harris 

 and Bernera, among the Hebrides. This species maybe dis- 

 tinguished by the stigma, which in the first species is incras- 

 sated, five-toothed, with the teeth upright and acute ; which 

 this exactly resembles, except in being larger and peltate. 



7. Pyrola Asarifolia. Leaves kidney-shaped ; flowers yel- 

 lowish-green. Grows in Canada, and on the mountains of 

 Pennsylvania, in Beech-woods. 



Pyrostria ; a genus of the class Tetrandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix : very small, four- 

 toothed. Corolla: bell-shaped, four-cleft, tomentose in the 

 throat. Stamina: four. Pistil: germen turbinate, inferior; 

 style short, cylindrical ; stigma capitate. Pericarp : drupe 

 pear-shaped, inferior, small, eight-streaked, not crowned. 

 Seed: nuts eight, one-seeded. The only known species is, 



1. Pyrostria Salicifolia. A shrub, with round, smooth, 

 grayish branches, and opposite-stalked leaves, which are 

 bluntish, attenuated at the base, quite entire. Native of 

 the Mauritius. 



Pyrus ; a genus of the class Icosandria, order Pentagynia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one-leafed, con- 

 cave, five-cleft, permanent ; segments spreading. Corolla : 

 petals five, roundish, concave, large, inserted into the calix. 

 Stamina: filamenta twenty, awl-shaped, shorter than the 

 corolla, inserted into the calix ; antherae simple, roundish. 

 Pistil : germen inferior, roundish ; styles five, filiform, the 

 length of the stamina; stigmas simple. Pericarp: pome 

 roundish, umbilicate, fleshy, with five membranaceous cells. 

 Seeds: mostly two in each cell, oblong, blunt, acuminate at 

 the base, convex on one side, flat on the other. ESSENTIAL 

 CHARACTER. Calix : five-cleft. Petals: five. Pome : infe- 

 rior, five-celled. Seeds: two in each cell. The species are, 



1. Pyrus Communis ; Common Pear Tree. Leaves ovate, 

 serrate, finally smooth ; flower-stalks corymbose ; fruit elon- 

 gated at the base. This grows to a lofty tree, with upright 

 branches, but the twigs or branchlets hanging down : flowers 

 in terminating villose corymbs; corollas snow-white. Its 

 fruit was familiar to the ancients, and has long been a great 

 favourite with our French neighbours. As it is a native of 

 Europe, it was unquestionably known to our remote ances- 

 tors, who, like most of their deseendants, appear to have 

 preferred the Apple. The Wild Pear, supposed to be the 

 mother of all the orchard and garden varieties, is thorny ; 

 the stipules are setaceous, white, or reddish, deciduous; 

 the peduncles alternate; the calix clothed with a ferruginous 

 wool. The wood of the Pear-tree is light, smooth, and 

 compact; it is used by turners, and to make joiner's tools, 

 and for common picture frames, being stained black. The 

 leaves afford a yellow dye, and may be used to give a green 

 to blued cloths. The fermented juice is called Perry, which, 

 when made from the Squash, Oldfield, and Barland Pears, 

 is esteemed little inferior to wine. Mr. Miller has selected 

 eighty varieties of those Pears which are most esteemed ; and 

 from his list we shall again select the most approved kinds, 

 in as la-rge a number as our limited space will admit. 1. The 

 Musk, or, as it is commonly called, the Supreme Pear, is 

 generally produced in large clusters, and has a musky juice. 

 If gathered before it is ripe, about the middle of July, it is 

 a good fruit, but will only keep for a few days. 2. The Red 

 Muscadelle, or, as the French call it, the Fairest, is an 



excellent large early Pear, the skin of which is of a fine 

 yellow colour, beautifully striped with red when ripe. The 

 flesh is half melted, and has a rich flavour, if not suffered 

 to hang on the treu till it becomes mealy. It sometimes pro- 

 duces two crops of fruit in a year; the first ripening at the 

 end of July, and the second in September, though the last 

 crop is seldom woll-tasted. 3. The Jargonelle, or,' as the 

 French call it, Cuisso Madame, is a very long fruit, of a 

 russet-green colour from the sun, but towards it inclining to 

 an iron-colour. It is one of the best early summer Pears yet 

 known ; it has a rich musky flavour; and is ripe at the begin- 

 ning of August. 4. The Windsor Pear is good for nothing 

 if suffered to hang two or three days after it is ripe. 5. That 

 which the French gardeners call the Jargonelle, is apt to 

 become mealy, but being a plentiful bearer, is much propa- 

 gated for the London markets, that being the grand requisite 

 in the eyes of the growers. 6. The Skinless Pear, is a midr 

 die-sized fruit, of a long shape : the flesh is melting, and 

 full of a rich sugary juice. It ripens in the middle of August. 



7. The Rose Pear, is a short fruit, shaped like the Onion, 

 but much larger, of a yellowish-green colour. The flesh is 

 breaking, and the juice musky : it ripens at the end of August. 



8. The Perfumed Pear, is a middle-sized round fruit. The 

 flesh is melting but dry, and has a perfumed flavour. It 

 ripens at the end of August. 9. The summer Boncretien, is 

 a large oblong fruit, the skin of which is smooth and thin ; 

 the side next the sun is of a beautiful red colour, but the 

 other side of a whitish-green. The flesh is between breaking 

 and tender, and very full of juice. It ripens in the begin- 

 ning of September. 10. The Russelet Pear, is large and 

 oblong : the skin is brown, and of a dark red colour next the 

 sun; the flesh is soft and tender, without much cover. Its 

 juice is agreeably perfumed, if gathered before it be over-ripe. 

 It produces larger fruit on an espalier than on standard-trees, 

 and ripens in the middle of September. 11. Prince's Pear, 

 is a small roundish fruit, of a bright red colour next the sun, 

 but a yellowish colour on the opposite side. The flesh is 

 between breaking and melting, and the juice very highly 

 flavoured. This is a great bearer, ripening its fruit in the 

 middle of September. Its fruit will keep good for a fortnight. 

 12. The Great Mouth Water Pear, is a large round fruit, 

 with a smooth green skin ; the stalk is short and thick ; the 

 flesh melting and full of juice: it should be gathered before 

 it is ([iiite ripe, or else it will grow mealy. It ripens in the 

 middle of September. 13. The Summer Bergamot Pear, 

 called by some Hamden's Bergamot, is a roundish large flat 

 Pear, of a greenish-yellow colour, hollowed a little at both 

 ends like an Apple. The flesh is melting, and the juice 

 highly perfumed : it ripens about the middle of September. 

 14. The Autumn Bergamot, is a smaller Pear than the former, 

 but nearly of the same shape; the skin is of a yellowish- 

 green, but changes to a faint red on the side next the sun ; 

 the flesh is melting, and its juice richly perfumed. It is a 

 great beaier, ripens at the end of September, a-nd is one of 

 the best Pears of the season. 15. The Swiss Bergamot, is 

 somewhat rounder than either of the two former. Tlie flesh 

 is melting and full of juice, but not so highly perfumed as 

 either of the former. It ripens in September. 16'. The Red 

 Butter Pear, is very melting, and full of a rich sugary juice. 

 It ripens at the beginning of October, and when gathered 

 from the tree is one of the very best sort of Pears we have. 

 It is a large long fruit, generally of a brown colour. There 

 is also the Gray Butter Pear, and the Green Butter Poar, 

 but these different names are occasioned by the different 

 colours of the same sort of Pear, owing either to the difference 

 of soil and situation, 01 to the stock ; those upo<i free-stocks 



