FEAR. 309 



The original tree of the green sugar pear stood in 

 an old garden in Fulham, and was propagated and dis- 

 tributed far and wide by the then proprietor of the 

 Fulham Nursery, Grey. That ground was a source 

 from which many of our best orchard and garden 

 fruits now in vogue were circulated ; and not fruits 

 only, but some of the most valuable ornamental 

 exotics. Mr. Grey gave up a small portion of ground 

 for the reception of the hardy plants and seeds 

 brought home by his intimate friend, Mark Catesby, 

 Esq. the celebrated botanist and traveller. On this 

 spot the first plant of Magnolia grandiflora obtuse 

 was planted, prospered, and flowered in the greatest 

 perfection. It served as a stool (having a stage 

 erected round it), whence numerous layers w^ere 

 made for twenty years before it died from this con- 

 tinual mutilation. One of the first layers was 

 removed to a sheltered spot in the nursery, and 

 flourished so w^ell as to be a half standard ten feet 

 high in 1791 : three years afterwards it had above 

 seventy perfect flowers on it at one time, and was a 

 most beautiful object, and admired by all who saw it ; 

 but in three years afterwards it was entirely de- 

 stroyed by a sudden and severe frost. The reader, it 

 is hoped, will excuse this digression as having 

 nothing to do with fruit trees ; but the idea of both 

 are so associated, that he could not speak of the 

 culture and propagation of the green sugar pear, 

 without alluding to a most beautiful plant which was 

 propagated at the same time and place. 



GanseVs Bergamot P. — Ripens about the beginning 



