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By Arthur B. Browse, M.D. Bond., B.B.C.S., Eng. 
Read November 1, 1901. 
I N April, 1901, I was away from Clifton for a few days in 
South Buckinghamshire, at an ancient and picturesque 
country town, Amersham, Avhere many years of my early life 
were spent. It was, by the way, one of the “ pocket- 
boroughs,” disfranchised by the first Reform Bill ; for, 
though the population was but a few hundreds (how few the 
voters were I do not know) it used to return two Members to 
Parliament. 
Calling one day on an old friend, who is very fond of his 
garden, I was shown what he rightly termed a great 
curiosity ” ; and it is this which I have called a “ puzzle,” 
for at first sight it was impossible to detect the ex- 
planation. 
Against the western side of a high brick wall is trained 
a pear-tree, the variety being named ‘‘Vicar of Wakefield.” 
About half-way up on the northern side of the main stem is 
the lower end of a large branch severed from it, the cut 
surface of which is completely healed over. The stump from 
which it was cut is separated from it by a space of five or 
six inches ; and its surface, too, is smoothly healed. The 
severed branch passes upwards somewhat obliquely, and 
forks into two main divisions about two feet from the top of 
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