Editorial Miscellany. 388 



this character. On coming to the verge of the forest near the 

 town, I observed in some of the thickets young trees of peduncu- 

 lata, and I fancied that some were hybrids partaking of the char- 

 acters of both, but I could not find any acorns on them ; has any 

 one ever heard of such hybrids ? The misfortune is that it is dif- 

 ficult to prove, for before a young oak tree commences to bear 

 acorns, one has generally ceased to care about acorns and oak 

 trees. — Ibid. 



Beurre d' Amanlis Pear. — Mr. Rivers, I observe, speaks well of 

 this pear, but says " it is never highly flavored or perfumed." A 

 pyramidical tree of this kind on the Quince stock I had from him 

 in 1853, bore this last year 14 large fruit, the first I had ever seen 

 of the kind, and I can assure you they were as high-flavored as a 

 good Jargonelle, and very like it in taste though very different in 

 appearance. In fact it was the highest flavored pear I have 

 tasted this season ; though that does not say much, as generally I 

 have found them below the mark, not only those of my own growth, 

 but in Covent Garden Market. The Jargonelle thrives in our deep 

 rich soil in the marsh of North Lincolnshire perfectly, and does 

 not canker. One that , I grafted myself 18 years ago, near the 

 banks of the Humber, on a sucker of an old pear stock that came 

 up against the house, speedily spread over two of the walls, and 

 bore, (and bears, I believe, large crops, without a trace of canker.) 

 —Ibid. 



Medieval Gardening. — Our invaluable ancient authority, Alex- 

 ander Necham, says a " noble garden" should be arrayed with 

 Roses, Lilies, Sunflowers, Violets, and Poppies ; he mentions also 

 the Narcissus (N. pseudo-narcissus ?) The Rose seems to have 

 been cultivated from the most remote time ; early in the 13th cen- 

 tury we find King John sending a wreath of Roses to his lady, 

 par amoiors, at Ditton. Roses and Lilies were among the plants 

 bought for the royal garden at Westminster in 1276. The annual 

 rendering of a Rose is one of the commonest species of quit-rent 

 named in ancient conveyances. The extent to which the cultiva- 

 tion of this flower had been carried between the 14th and 16th 

 centuries, may be estimated by the varieties enumerated by Law- 



