52 A ccoun t of Pears formerly cultivated. 



only. I do not find but it is a very healthy shooter in our 

 ground, and bears very well in an espalier. Gentil, author 

 of Le Jar dinier Solitaire, saith of this fruit, that no man 

 curious in fruit, but hath them in his garden. The Eye of 

 this Pear is small, even with or but very little above the head 

 or crown, retaining very little of the leaves, and none of the 

 threads or pendents of its blossom, which makes the points 

 of its eye short, stiff, and strong ; it is of a circular form, 

 full, shallow, open, but of a mealy colour within, and the 

 head or crown, which is flat, is puckered, or a little con- 

 tracted round about it, and the end of the Pear is a little 

 blunt, but much less in compass than at the head. The 

 Stalk is not hollow-set, for the Pear does not seem to sink at 

 all inwards at the tail ; pretty long, and very slender in sub- 

 stance, a little curved, and a little pounced with small russety 

 brown and mealy specks, and takes good hold within. The 

 Skin is of a whitish or grayish green colour, pounced up and 

 down with little white round specks in the ground, streaked 

 or flaked with a few stripes of a red or flesh colour, which 

 in our specimen was round about the eye and the upper part 

 of its body. It turns to a palish faint yellow colour on the 

 outside, and smells a little when ready to eat, for they soon 

 grow mellow, and will not endure above three or four days 

 after gathering; for they begin to perish within quickly. 

 After the 10 th or 12 tb of July, they may be eaten from the 

 tree; vermin, such as birds, slugs, &c. will prey upon 

 them while upon the tree. The skin is not smooth or very 

 glossy, but rather coarse in grain, and firm enough in sub- 

 stance. The Pulp is partly of a yielding substance, well 

 enough furnished with juice, which is sugared, a little 



