354 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 22, 1885. 
because they be full of juice. These are called, in some 
places, Watery Pears or Moist Pears. Dolobelliana are the 
Pears that have long footstalks. I remember not how they 
be named in England. Volema, whereof Virgil makes men¬ 
tion in the second book of his Georgicks. These, because 
they are very heavy, as Virgil sheweth, and very great, as 
their name betokeneth, for they seem to have their name of 
vola—that is, the hollow place or loof of a man’s hand, be¬ 
cause they be as big as a man can grip in the palm or loof of 
his hand. These are commonly called in English, Wardens, 
if they have a binding and be red when they are roasted, and 
indure unto March or February. It appeareth that they 
have their name of long keeping; for Warden, in Dutch, 
from whence our English came, is to keep. Serotina pyra 
are they that hang upon their mother until winter, and were 
ripe with the frost. These are partly our Wardens, and 
partly other long-during Pears, which are called in Dutch, 
Winter Birnen; and they may be well called in English, 
Winter Pears.” 
Next in order of time came Gerarde, who says—“The 
stock, or kindred of Pears are not to be numbered; every 
country hath its peculiar fruit. Myself knows one curious in 
grafting and planting of fruits, who hath in one piece of 
ground at the point of threescore sundry sorts of Pears, and 
those exceeding good, not doubting but if his mind had been 
to seek after multitudes he might have gotten together the 
like number of those of worse kinds.” Johnson has altered 
Gerarde’s arrangement of the Pears he specified, and given 
the following as the ancient titles, and our Pears which are 
synonymous. Whether correct or not in that respect, they 
certainly show eight varieties then known in our gardens, 
and some of which are still surviving. 1, Pyrus superba 
(Katherine Pear ); 2, Pyrus prsecocia (Jenneting Pear) ; 
3, Pyrus Jacobaea (St. James’s Pear); 4, Pyrus regale (Pear 
Royal) ; 5, Pyrus Palatinum (Bergamot Pear); 6, Pyrus 
Sydonia (Quince Pear); 7, Pyrus episcopata (Bishop’s Pear); 
8, Pyrus lryemale (Winter Pear). “ All these,” says Gerarde, 
** an ^ many more, and those most rare and good, are grow¬ 
ing in the grounds of Master Richard Pointer, a most 
cunning and curious graffer and planter of all manner of 
rare fruits, dwelling in a small village near London called 
Twicknam ; and also in the ground of an excellent graffar 
and painful planter, Mr. Henry Banbury of Touthill Street, 
near Westminster; and likewise in the ground of a diligent 
and most affectionate lover of plants, Mr. Warner, near 
Horsey-down, by London.” It would not avail much now to 
seek for Pear trees either in Tothill Street or Horsleydown ! 
Descending a few years later we find, in some degree 
from our increased intercourse with France, but still more 
from the improvement in our garden literature, that we have 
much fuller and certain information relative to the varieties 
then known. Many of them are among our most common 
Pears now cultivated. Thus Parkinson, in his “ Paradisi in 
sole Paradisus terrestris,” published in 1629, mentions among 
others the Bon Chretien, Bergamot, Green Chesill, Catherine, 
Windsor, and “the Peare of Jerusalem, which being baked, 
is as red as the Red Warden, whereof Master William Ward 
of Essex has assured me, who is the chief keeper of the 
King’s Granary at Whitehall.” 
Parkinson was certainly not a total abstinent from chirpy 
liquor, for he says, “ The Perry made of Choke Peares, not¬ 
withstanding the harshnesse, the evill taste, both of the fruit 
when it is greene, and also of the juyce when it is new made, 
doth yet after a few moneths become as milde and pleasant 
as wine, and will hardly bee knowne by the sight or taste 
from it; this hath beene found true by often experience, and, 
therefore, wee may admire the goodnesse of God, that hath 
given such facility to so wilde fruits, altogether thought use- 
lesse, to become useful!, and apply the benefit thereof both 
to the comfort of our soules and bodies.” 
Some old and well authenticated varieties are still in 
cultivation, but the majority of those generally grown have 
been raised or introduced during the present century. As 
instances of a few of those that made their appearance before 
that time, and are still found in gardens, we may cite the 
following. The Achan, probably introduced to Scotland from 
Norway at an early period, but the actual date is uncertain. 
The Amadotte was also early introduced to England from 
France. Angelique de Bordeaux was brought from France 
about 1708. Autumn Bergamot has been doubtfully sup¬ 
posed to date from the time of Julius Csesar. Barland was 
grown in Herefordshire as early as 1674. Besi d’Hery was 
discovered early in the seventeenth century, in the forest of 
Hery in Brittany. Beurre Ranee was raised at Mons in 
Haiuault in 1762. The Catherine Pear was mentioned by 
Parkinson in 1629. Chaumontel was discovered in the 
Chateau Chaumontel, on the road from Amiens to Paris in 
1685. Gansel’s Bergamot was known before 1753. Gros 
Rousselet was mentioned by Rea as the Great Russet of 
Rennes in 1665. The Longueville is thought to have been 
brought over to Scotland from France in the fifteenth century. 
Louise Bonne originated at Avranches in 1728. Passe Col¬ 
mar is of Belgian origin, having been obtained at Mons in 
1758. St. Germain is an old French Pear known about 1690. 
The Seckle is of American origin, and was in cultivation 
before 1765. Uvedale’s St. Germains was raised in England 
towards the close of the seventeenth century, and the Windsor 
Pear was known as early as 1563. 
Probably some of these patriarchs of the Pear world will 
be found amongst the numerous exhibits at Chiswick, as well 
as the very abundant, handsome, and fine quality varieties of 
later origin. 
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE YORKSHIRE 
ASSOCIATION OF HORTICULTURISTS. 
ADDRESS BY THE REV F. D. HORNER. 
[At the la?t annual meeting of the above Association, held at the 
rooms of the Paxton Society, Wakefield, the Rev. F. D. Horner delivered an 
interesting address upon the general objects of the Association, and this 
was supplemented by a lecture on the Auricula. We have been favoured 
with the MSS. of both these, and as they are of far more than local interest 
we present them to our readers.] 
I esteem it a great honour and feel it a great pleasure to be 
asked to take this part in the day’s proceedings. If I am to stand 
before you as a sincere lover of flowers, then my heart does not 
condemn me, but if it is as one who is able to say all that should 
be said on such an occasion, then my knees tremble, and I think 
you might have found someone more capable. Feeling this, I 
begged our Secretary to call my address a short one. Pei’haps 
that is not as plainly said of my lecture also, but I must ask you 
to understand it of that too. 
The Auricula is a very favourite flower of mine, but lest over 
it, or the other branch of my subject, I should stray into too 
great lengthiness, I have taken the precaution to anchor myself, 
as it were, to the limits of this paper. An important feature of 
our evening’s programme remains after I have spoken, and I 
wish to keep mindful of this. 
Into whose mind the idea which we develope to-day first 
came as a germ of thought I do not know, but it was a happy 
thought The Wakefield Paxton Society, in having taken the 
first action, may be said to have germinated the idea as far as 
the seed leaf. That, we all know, is an early crisis in the life of 
a young plant, and it must soon lay hold of wider stores and 
stronger elements, and seize the opportunities and means of 
growth into maturer life that come within its reach. So our 
seedling idea, finding congenial elements in other horticultural 
societies of our county, is brought well into the rough leaf of 
its existence to-day, and now by combined harmonious action on 
the part of all, we hope, and have good faith in our hope, that 
the project will put forth branch and blossom, and bear much 
fruit. 
These societies, and especially such strong combinations of 
their varied strength and experience as we inaugurate to-day, 
cannot but tend to spread horticultural knowledge and fervour. 
It is a friendly combination of practical men, and the aggregate 
force of it will be great. I hope we shall all think much of its 
intent and inherent powers. It will be held together by that 
bond of brotherhood which is at once so strong, yet gentle, 
among lovers of flowers. That love is very innocent, and it is 
one of the most natural of our affections. It speaks well, it is 
some relic of bright things in erring human nature to know that 
one pure taste and love left in it is natural to it, born with it, 
