364 HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



bourg under the direction of Mr Hervy. In the course 

 of conversation, Mr Blaikie recommended to us the pear 

 called the Sylvange, originally brought from Mctz in Lor- 

 raine. It is a late pear, about the size of the swan-egg, 

 and tastes like a beurre. He mentioned with approbation, 

 too, the Chaumanctte, also a late pear, which he thinks 

 likewise originated at Metz. 



We pursued our walk towards the Forest of Laye, into 

 which we were desirous of taking a short ramble. Ha- 

 ving, on our way, noticed the mistletoe on forest-trees, Mr 

 Blaikie mentioned that it here grows on the Virginian poplar, 

 the mountain-ash, the lime, and several other kinds. The 

 berries on some mountain-ashes by the road-side seemed 

 larger than usual : and we were told, that when the roan- 

 tree (Pyrus aucuparia) is grafted on the service-tree (P. 

 domestica), as is frequently done, the fruit not only be- 

 comes larger, but is produced in greater abundance. Such 

 young grafted trees also come more speedily into a bearing 

 state. On farther examination, we ascertained that many 

 of the roan-trees, the fruit of which attracted our particu- 

 lar notice, were really of a distinct species, P. Americana. 

 Service-trees or Cormiers are here very commonly cultiva- 

 ted as fruit-trees ; some of them were of considerable size, 

 the trunk of one tree measuring more than eight feet in 

 circumference. The fruit is chiefly used in the manufac- 

 ture of cider, for communicating acidity to the apple 

 juice. 



Chcsnut-trecs appeared, both scattered up and down 

 as single trees, and in small separate plantations. They 

 were frequently of great age and of large dimensions ; 

 the bole sometimes measuring 13, 14 or 15 feet in cir- 

 cumference. Some of them would have afforded admi- 

 rable studies Tor painters of trees. One huge trunk, 

 though only about VI feel high, has a very remarkable 



