PEAR 



both ends : red : a pore-width apart : occupy half the transverse 

 surface : 10-14 per mm. (i.e. " middles and ends " together). 



Rings. Vague. 



Soft-tissue. Encircling the pores. 



Pith. ? 



Radial Section. Pores, rather coarse scratches containing 

 drops of reddish gum at intervals. Rays, prominent though 

 small, dark red flakes. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the rays are just visible, 

 rather broad, spindle-shaped lines about 1 mm. high. 



Type specimen authenticated by the Forest Officer to the 

 Government of Natal. The structure is quite unlike that of any 

 of the European woods belonging to the same natural order. 



No. 88. PEAR. Pyrus communis. Linn. 

 Plate VII. Fig. 59. 



Natural Order. Rosacese. 



Synonyms. P. Pyraster. Linn. 



Sources of Supply. Europe : Western Asia : introduced into 

 most temperate climates. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 44-52 lbs. 

 per cu. ft. Hardness Grade 6, compare Apple or Beech. Smell 

 or taste none. 



Grain. Fine, the pores just visible. Surface dull. 



Bark. J-| inch thick, smooth, silvery-grey or yellowish when 

 young with prominent lenticels : breaking later into rectangular 

 scales and becoming rough when old. 



Uses, etc. Turnery, carving. Difficult to split, tough : durable 

 in dry places. " Works well in all directions, liable to twist : 

 shrinks J of its original bulk when green. Wood-engraving, 

 musical instruments : takes a black stain well and then resembles 

 Ebony." (69) 



Authorities. Nordlinger (87), p. 534. Ditto (86), vol. iii. 

 p. 58. Laslett (60), p. 165. Hartig (42), pp. 31 and 41. Schwartz 

 (106), p. 484. Westermeier (31), p. 10. Holtzapffel (29), 

 p. 99. Mathieu (129), p. 167. Wiesner (131), L. 12, p. 918. 



Colour. Reddish-brown sap-wood. Heart-wood only in old 

 trees and then apparently the result of disease. 



Anatomical Characters. Transverse section : — 



Pores. Need lens, fine, size 5, little variation : slightly smaller 

 in the Autumn wood : equally crowded throughout the ring : 

 very numerous, 200-300 per sq. mm. : single or in groups of 

 2-5 : loose strings may appear to be formed here and there 

 (" wurmformig," 86). ■ 



Rays. Just visible in certain lights : fine to medium, size 4-5 : 



103 



