136 THE PEAR. 



multiplying of sorts, that the Horticultural Society's list for 

 1831 enumerates 677 named varieties. 



The Pear-tree is long-lived, much more so in its culti- 

 vated than in its wild state ; and its productiveness in- 

 creases with its age. Dr. Neile mentions a number of very 

 ancient Pear-trees standing in the neighbourhood of Jed- 

 burgh Abbey, and in fields which are known to have been 

 formerly the gardens of religious houses in Scotland which 

 were destroyed at the Reformation. Such trees are, for 

 the most part, in good health, and are abundant bearers ; 

 and, as some of them were probably planted when the 

 abbeys were built, they may be from 500 to 600 years old. 

 The most remarkable Pear-tree in England stands on the 

 glebe of the parish of Holme Lacy, in Herefordshire. 

 When the branches of this tree, in its original state, 

 became long and heavy, their extremities drooped till 

 they reached the ground. They then took root; each 

 branch became a new tree, and in its turn produced others 

 in the same way. Eventually it extended itself until it 

 covered more than an acre of ground, and would probably 

 " have reached much farther if it had been suffered to do so. 

 It is stated in the church register, that " the great natural 

 curiosity, the great Pear-tree upon the glebe, adjoining to 

 the vicarage-house, produced this year (1776) fourteen 

 hogsheads of perry, each hogshead containing one hundred 

 gallons." Though now much reduced in size, it is still 

 healthy and vigorous, and generally produces from two to 

 five hogsheads. The liquor is not of a good quality, being 

 very strong and heating. An idea of the superior size of 

 this tree, when in its prime, over others of the same kind, 

 may be formed from the fact that, in the same county, an 

 acre of ground is usually planted with thirty trees, which, 

 in a good soil, produce annually, when full grown, twenty 

 gallons of perry each. So large a quantity as a hogshead 

 from one tree is very unusual. The sorts principally used 

 for making perry are such as have an austere juice. 



