Retrospective Criticism. 621 



could have any possible interest in misleading Mr. Pearson or myself on 

 such a subject. It may be very true that Mr. Smith " has conversed with 

 many old people about this tree;" but, unless he can prove himself to be 

 the sole repository of every word that ever was said about it, I do not see 

 any right he has to assume that " no such account as the one given by 

 Mr. Gorrie was ever heard of." This looks like " cutting before the 

 point." I have no doubt that Mi*. Pearson is able and willing to point out 

 the sources of his information. It will then be for Mr. Smith and others to 

 attach any degree of credit they may think proper to the traditionary tale ; 

 the truth of which, however, stands little affected by any thing Mr. Smith 

 has hitherto advanced to the contrary. That this, or some other John 

 Monteath pear tree, is or was a seedling, Mr. Smith will readily admit ; that 

 size of trees is no fair criterion of age, he has too much practical experience 

 not to allow. Indeed, it appears rather inadvertent in a professional man 

 to press this as an argument into the service ; that the tree at Cramond 

 House " must be the senior." Must I remind Mr. Smith of the homely 

 adage, that " every tree in the wood does not grow alike ? " 



The anecdote respecting " John Earl of Hopetoun " and his tenant at 

 Byers proves, at least, that a little selfishness was common to landlord and 

 tenant in the days of yore, as well as in modern times ; and now that we 

 are sent all the way to " Chiswick" to see one of Johnnie's progeny, one 

 might be led to infer that the family are far scattered, and that fruit " held 

 in estimation by the Earls of Hopetoun " of the olden time are disregarded 

 by the sons of men in our day and generation. Are there no young trees 

 of this esteemed variety, that might be " pointed out" to us in our next 

 "jaunt, " at Hopetoun Gardens ? There is one at Annat Gardens, which I 

 shall be happy to point out to any of my brethren who may not have leisure 

 to visit Chiswick, and who may deem the sight of any importance. For 

 my own part, the question as to when or where this " venerable tree " 

 came into the world, I would have considered of little earthly consequence 

 to any of its inhabitants, except to gratify a harmless curiosity : but, now 

 that Mr. Smith has been pleased to contradict, in positive terms, and with- 

 out the least qualification, what I was informed and communicated on the 

 subject, I confess I do feel a wish that the question were in some way or 

 other set at rest, and I think this can be done by a very simple process. 

 If the old tree at Ormiston Hall, and the one to which Mr. Smith alludes 

 as " senior " at Cramond, shall each have a few of their roots cut at 6 or 

 8 ft. from the stem, and the points of these roots placed near the surface, 

 young shoots will be produced : and if either of these trees is the original 

 seedling, the foliage and habits of the young shoots will have a striking 

 resemblance to the young Monteath pear trees ; and grafts taken from them 

 will produce fruit similar to those of the old tree, if wrought on standards. 

 As only one of these trees can be expected to produce fruit and foliage 

 having the Monteath family-likeness, the other will produce fruit, wood, 

 and foliage something similar to the stock on which the tree was grafted. 

 I hope Mr. Pearson and Mr. Smith will attend to this, and communicate 

 the result through the medium of your Magazine. I am aware that I am 

 not offering any thing that is new to either of my above-mentioned profes- 

 sional brethren, in the above suggestion. I am also aware that some 

 objections may be made to the experiment, on the principle that the graft 

 affects the stock; but to this objection, if it be made, I have to oppose my 

 own experience in researches of that nature. 



I agree with Mr. Smith that the young Monteaths grow upright, with 

 strong young shoots, and differ in habit from the old trees. This is also 

 peculiar to many prolific varieties of pear trees. Old John, by all accounts, 

 has borne many a heavy load of fruit, which may have contributed to give 

 his shoulders a little bend. My friend, Mr. Smith, if he allow me to call 

 him so, is, as well as myself, advancing in the vale of years, and we gradually 



