240 Retrospective Criticism. 



adding, that tradition says it was named after a gardener who lived in that 

 place, and raised it from seed. 



Now, Sir, although I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Gorrie, 

 and would by no means hurt his feelings, yet I must say that it is far 

 from probable, nay, I am almost certain that the facts are not as above 

 supposed. I have been acquainted with the tree alluded to for forty-one 

 years, and my father-in-law, whom I succeeded as gardener at Ormiston Hall, 

 knew the tree since 1756, seventy-five years ago, and could learn nothing 

 of its history. I have also conversed with many old people of the place 

 about this tree, who remembered it nearly a century ago, and no such 

 account as the one given by Mr. Gorrie was ever heard of. Besides, the 

 noble proprietors (the Earls of Hopetoun) were particularly anxious to 

 learn any history of the fruit, and likewise of the venerable tree ; and if 

 any means could have been found to throw light on the origin of the sort, 

 it would not have been overlooked. In corroboration of the estimation in 

 which the fruit of the Monteath pear was held by the Earls of Hopetoun, 

 the following anecdote may be related: — In 1776, John, Earl of Hope- 

 toun, proprietor of the B^ers estate in East Lothian (formerly a seat of the 

 Earls of Lindsay), let the garden of the old mansion house of Byers at 

 the rent of five pounds yearly, with this provision, viz. that he should have 

 the produce of two Monteath pear trees, then in the garden, at a fail- price. 

 The tenant sent the fruit to Ormiston Hall, and charged seven pounds for 

 it. Provoked at this exorbitant charge, the earl doubled the rent of the 

 farm, making it ten pounds, no inconsiderable sum sixty-five years ago. It 

 may be remarked that this same garden was let some time since at seventy 

 pounds per annum. 



I have myself tried every method, from the oldest publications on gar- 

 dening, and other sources, but could make little of the history of this fruit. 

 I at last learned that there was a larger tree of the sort than the one at 

 Ormiston Hall, at Cramond House, the seat of the Dowager Lady Torr 

 phichen, six miles from Edinburgh, the trunk of which is at present 10 ft. 

 in circumference, while the one at Ormiston Hall is little more than 7 ft. 

 6 in. ; from which it appears that the one at Cramond must be the senior. 

 Allow me to make an extract of a letter from Lady Torphichen, at present 

 lying before me, dated Cramond House, Oct. 1830 : — " Lady Torphichen 

 is extremely sorry that she cannot give any very satisfactory information 

 with regard to the Monteath pear tree still remaining in what was called 

 the Bishop's Garden at Cramond. Mr, John Wood's Hhforj/ of t/ie Parish 

 of Cramond mentions Cramond as having been a favourite residence of the 

 Bishops of Dunkeld, as far back as the year 1100 down to the year 1500, 

 and upwards : in 16"24 Sir John Inglis purchased it. The Monteath pear 

 is not the only pear tree still standing in what was called the Bishop's 

 Garden, though all of them are in a very decayed state, apparently from 

 extreme age." 



I should not have been thus particular about the Monteath pear, if I 

 had not considered the account given of its being a seedling produced 

 at Ormiston Hall as altogether without foundation ; and if I had not 

 feared that, from its having been recorded in your Magazine, it might pass 

 current in the country. A tree of the Monteath pear was sent from 

 Messrs. Dickson and Co.'s nursery, Leith Walk, Edinburgh, and planted 

 in the Horticultural Society's garden at Chiswick, where it can be pointed 

 out by Mr. Thomson, superintendent of the fruit department. The young 

 trees grow upright, with strong young shoots, rather round dark green 

 leaves, and have a very different habit from the old trees. I am. Sir, &c. 

 — James Smith, Hopetoun House Gardens, Feb. 15. 1831. 



British Species of Oak. — A. G., in his review of Mr. Billington's pamphlet 

 on planting (Vol. VI. p. 074.), seems to be under some confusion about 

 our British oaks ; he says he " shall conclude his notice with the following 



