196 NOTICES OF THE SORB-TREE 
tree. Its planting was certainly at a remote period, probably 
several hundreds of years ago, possibly before the forest itself 
was afforested. At all events, its history cannot now be traced. 
On the faith of the native or spontaneous origin of this single 
tree, Pyrus domestica has maintaimed its place among British 
plants since the times of Ray, and it is likely to retain its hold 
on our flora for generations to come, long after the sole and ori- 
ginal cause of its introduction has been resolved into its primary 
constituent elements. 
In Loudon’s ‘ Arboretum’ there is a very detailed account, not 
only of our Sorb-tree, the Sorb of Wyre Forest, but of all the 
Sorbs known within the four seas. From this work the following 
extracts are taken :— 
“ Pyrus domestica, Smith.— The Whitty Pear-tree-—The Sorb- — 
tree.— Cormier, or Sorbier cultivé, Fr.— Speyerlings-baum, or Sper- 
ber-baum, Ger.—Sorbo, Ital.—A native of Europe, chiefly of the 
middle region, and found also in some parts of Barbary, particu- 
larly in the neighbourhood of Algiers. The only plants of the 
species in its uncultivated state are in Wyre Forest and the 
Arboretum at Milford ; in foliage and general appearance closely 
resembling the Mountain Ash, but attainmg a much larger size, 
and bearing much larger fruit, of a greenish-brown colour when 
ripe. In France this tree attains the height of 50-60 feet, and 
it requires two centuries before it reaches its full size; and lives 
to so great an age, that some specimens of it are believed to 
be upwards of a thousand years old. The fruit is five times the 
size of that of the Mountain Ash, and of a dull greenish-brown 
colour. It is said to be thirty years before it comes into a 
bearing state when raised from seed; but when slips or scions 
from fruit-bearing trees are grafted on seedling plants, or on the 
Mountain Ash, they come into bearing in a few years, as in the 
case of other fruit-trees. 
“The true Service-tree is not found in abundance in any part 
of the world. There are perhaps more trees of it in the middle 
of France and the Alps of Italy than in all other countries put 
together; but it is also found in the south of Germany, in some 
parts of the north of Africa, and in Western Asia. It was for- 
merly said to be a native of different parts of Britain; but in 
Smith’s ‘English Flora’ there is no positive habitat (locality) 
given, except that of a solitary tree in Wyre Forest, near Bewd- 
