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L. Some Account of the Seckle Pear, a new seedling raised 

 in the Neighbourhood of Philadelphia. In a Letter to the 

 Secretary. By David Hosack, M. D. F. R. S. &c. Fo- 

 reign Member of the Horticultural Society. 



Read, January 5, 1819. 



Dear Sir. 



The Seckle Pear, eighteen plants of which I have for- 

 warded to the Horticultural Society, is so named, from Mr. 

 Seckle of Philadelphia, who has the credit of having first 

 cultivated it in the vicinity of that city. It is generally con- 

 sidered to be a native fruit of this country, accidentally pro- 

 duced from seed sown by Mr. Seckle ; and the original 

 tree is said to be still standing on the estate of that gentle- 

 man. An account, however, essentially different from this, 

 has been lately communicated to me, by my friend, Judge 

 Wallace, of Burlington, to whom I recently paid a visit. 

 He stated to me, on the authority of a correspondent in Phil- 

 adelphia, that the Pear was grown in that neighbourhood, 

 sixty years ago, by a person named Jacob Weiss, who 

 obtained the tree, with many others, at a settlement of 

 Swedes, which was early established near Philadelphia, 

 where Mr. Weiss had built a house. The Judge suggested 

 the probability of Mr. Weiss, and the father, or grand- 

 father of Mr. Seckle, having been intimate, as both fami- 

 lies were Germans, and of that rank in society which might 

 be likely to lead to such an acquaintance. The conjecture, 



