296 THE PAEKS AND GARDENS OF PARIS. [Chap. XVIII. 



Stanhope, that he had taken some interest in their mode of culture 

 when in France, and made seyeral experiments, this plantation of 

 Winter Pears being one of them. He has kindly furnished me 

 with the photograph from which the sketch was engraved, and the 

 following account of the trees : — 



" Allow me to furnish you with an illustration of my cordon 

 Pear-wall, one-half of which, planted in Decemher, 1861, bore 

 fruit in 1864 ; another half, planted in March, 1865, bore fruit in 

 1868. From the time these trees began fruit-bearing up to 

 the present date, they have been, and are now, perfectly healthy, 

 and have yielded large crops every year, with the exception of two 



IVall of Cordon Pear-trees in th£ gardens at Holme Lacy. 



or three trees, perhaps, which may miss bearing each year ; as to 

 the superiority of the fruit, in size, appearance, and flavour, over 

 fruit grown in my garden on pyramids and espaliers, there can be 

 no question. In hot summers it was found necessary to mulch, 

 and even to water them, owing to the Quince stock, on which all 

 are grafted, having more fibres and rooting nearer the surface 

 than the Pear stock. They are trained on a south wall, which, 

 however, is somewhat shaded by large Oaks, and, although this 

 circumstance renders the wall unfavourable for Peaches, I do not 

 consider it has been against these Quince-grafted Pears, as, but 

 for the shade, they would probably have suffered more in hot 

 summers than they have done. I do not, therefore, think a south 



