XL 
THE OLDFIELD PEAR. 
This pear does not appear to have been known in the seven¬ 
teenth century, nor even in the beginning of the eighteenth, 
for it does not occur in any of the older catalogues of fruits ; 
nor is it mentioned by Philips. It appears, however, to have 
been much cultivated soon after the time of the last mentioned 
writer, and has subsequently been more extensively planted 
than any other variety. The perry it affords is sweet and 
well flavoured; and it possesses, generally, a considerable 
degree of strength: but it is not often free from a defect, 
which is common to almost ever kind of perry, that of leav¬ 
ing an unpleasant sensation of acidity on the palate. 
The trees of this variety grow freely, and are very produc¬ 
tive of fruit, and at an earlier age than those of almost any 
other variety. 
The Oldfield Pear is generally believed to have derived its 
name from an enclosure called the Oldfield^ near Ledbury, 
in Herefordshire, where an old tree still stands, which is 
supposed to be the original tree of this variety: but I was 
informed, in answer to enquiries which I made about twenty 
five years ago, that this tree has evidently been grafted, and 
that the original tree (which had once grown in the same 
field) had at that period long ceased to exist. The specific 
gravity of the juice of this, (as of all other pears) I have 
found to be subject to much variation, when obtained from 
fruit of equal maturity, but from different Boils. The aver¬ 
age weight was about 1067. 
t - 
1 
