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148 The Trees <strong>of</strong> Great Britain and Ireland<br />
and fruit at <strong>the</strong> end, this on <strong>the</strong> sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> branch. Next <strong>the</strong> sun, <strong>the</strong> fruit has a<br />
dark red flush, and is about <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> a small jeneting pear. In September, so<br />
rough as to be ready to strangle one. But being <strong>the</strong>n ga<strong>the</strong>red and kept till October,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y eat as well as any medlar."<br />
Ray's account 1 in 1724 is as follows : " The true Service or Sorb. It hath been<br />
observed to grow wild in many places in <strong>the</strong> mountainous part <strong>of</strong> Cornwall by<br />
that ingenious young gentleman, Walter Moyle, Esq., in company with Mr. Stevens<br />
<strong>of</strong> that county. I suspect this to be <strong>the</strong> tree called Sorbus pyriformis, found by<br />
Mr. Pitt, alderman <strong>of</strong> Worcester, in a forest <strong>of</strong> that county, and said to grow wild<br />
in many places <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> morelands in Staffordshire by Dr. Plot, Hist. Nat. Stafford,<br />
208." In modern times <strong>the</strong> tree has, however, never been found wild in any part<br />
<strong>of</strong> Cornwall or Stafford, and probably it was confused with Pyrus latifolia?<br />
Nash, 3 in 1781, refers to <strong>the</strong> tree in <strong>the</strong> Wyre forest as occurring " in <strong>the</strong> eastern<br />
part <strong>of</strong> Aka or Rock parish, about a mile from Mopson's Cross, between that and<br />
Dowles Brook, in <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> a thick wood belonging to Mr. Baldwyn, which I<br />
suppose to be <strong>the</strong> Sorbus saliva pyriformis, mentioned by Mr. Pitt in <strong>the</strong> Philo<br />
sophical Transactions for 1 678, called by <strong>the</strong> common people <strong>the</strong> Quicken pear tree."<br />
This tree was figured by Loudon, 4 t. 644, from a drawing sent him by <strong>the</strong> Earl <strong>of</strong><br />
Mountmorris. The Rev. Josiah Lee, rector <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Far Forest, told Mrs. Wood<br />
ward that <strong>the</strong> old inhabitants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> district, where it was called <strong>the</strong> " Whitty Pear<br />
tree," used to hang pieces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bark round <strong>the</strong>ir necks as a charm to cure a sore<br />
throat. Lee's Botany <strong>of</strong> Worcestershire, 4, gives a good figure <strong>of</strong> this tree "from a<br />
sketch taken many years ago," and ano<strong>the</strong>r as it appeared in 1856; and says that in<br />
1853 it was in a very decrepit state, producing a little fruit at its very summit. It<br />
was burnt down in 1862, by a fire kindled at its base by a vagrant. In a note Lees<br />
says that he thinks <strong>the</strong> tree must have been brought from Aquitaine and planted<br />
beside a hermitage in <strong>the</strong> forest, <strong>of</strong> which no trace is left but a mound <strong>of</strong> stones<br />
overgrown by brambles. He found <strong>the</strong> privet and Prunus domestica occurring near<br />
it, and nowhere else in <strong>the</strong> forest.<br />
A seedling (Plate 46) from <strong>the</strong> Wyre forest tree is growing on <strong>the</strong> lawn at<br />
Arley Castle, near Bewdley, formerly <strong>the</strong> property <strong>of</strong> Lord Mountmorris, now <strong>the</strong><br />
residence <strong>of</strong> Mr. R. Woodward. I measured it in 1903, when it was 55 feet high<br />
by 7 feet 4 inches in girth, and quite healthy, though a large hole in <strong>the</strong> trunk has<br />
been filled with cement. A few seedlings have been raised from it at Arley, but<br />
grow very slowly.<br />
There is a large healthy tree in <strong>the</strong> park at Ribston Hall, We<strong>the</strong>rby, <strong>the</strong> seat<br />
<strong>of</strong> Major Dent, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pyriform variety, which in 1906 I found to be about 65 feet<br />
high by 9 feet in girth, and bearing fruit. This tree was probably brought from<br />
France by <strong>the</strong> same Sir. H. Goodricke who sowed <strong>the</strong> original Ribston pippin in 1709.<br />
1 Ray, Synopsis Methodica, ed. 3, p. 542.<br />
2 Miller, Card. Diet. iii. ed. (1737), under Sen-bus saliva, says, " The manured service was formerly said to be growing<br />
wild in England ; but this I believe to be a mistake, for several curious persons have strictly searched those places where it<br />
was mentioned to grow, and could not find it; nor could <strong>the</strong>y learn from <strong>the</strong> inhabitants <strong>of</strong> those countries that any such tree<br />
had ever grown <strong>the</strong>re." ' History <strong>of</strong> Worcestershire, i. II.<br />
4 Loudon gives <strong>the</strong> measurements in 1838 as 45 feet high, with a diameter <strong>of</strong> trunk at a foot from <strong>the</strong> ground <strong>of</strong> I foot<br />
9 inches, and states that it was in a state <strong>of</strong> decay at that time.<br />
r<br />
Pyrus 149<br />
At Croome Court, <strong>the</strong> seat <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Earl <strong>of</strong> Coventry, <strong>the</strong>re are two good-sized<br />
<strong>trees</strong> in <strong>the</strong> shrubbery, one <strong>of</strong> which is 59 feet high and 6 feet 2 inches in girth.<br />
The o<strong>the</strong>r, with a clean stem, about 50 feet by 7, is beginning to decay. 1 Lady<br />
Coventry told me that <strong>the</strong> fruit, which is only produced in good seasons, makes<br />
excellent jam when fully ripe, but some seeds which she was good enough to send<br />
me did not germinate.<br />
Loudon mentions a tree at Melbury Court, Dorsetshire, estimated to be 200<br />
years old, and 82 feet high, with a diameter <strong>of</strong> 3 feet 4 inches, growing in dry loam on<br />
sand. If this was really a true sorb, it must have been <strong>the</strong> largest on record, but I<br />
learn from <strong>the</strong> gardener at Melbury that it has long been dead.<br />
There are two good-sized <strong>trees</strong> at Painshill, and ano<strong>the</strong>r at Syon which Henry<br />
found to be 44 feet high and 6 feet 9 inches in girth, but on this heavy soil <strong>the</strong> tree<br />
does not seem to be so long lived, and is dying at <strong>the</strong> top.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> Botanic Gardens at Oxford are two well-shaped <strong>trees</strong> <strong>of</strong> this species,<br />
which were laden with fruit in 1905, and supposed to have been planted by<br />
Dr. John Sibthorp, who was Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Botany in 1784-95. The largest<br />
measures about 50 feet by 5 feet, and is <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> maliform variety. Its fruit, which<br />
ripens and falls about <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> October, is very sweet and pleasant to eat,<br />
much better than medlars, whilst <strong>the</strong> fruit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, which is <strong>the</strong> pyriform<br />
variety, does not turn red, is smaller, and ripens later. I have raised seedlings from<br />
both <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se <strong>trees</strong>.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> Cambridge Botanic Garden <strong>the</strong>re is a tree with very upright branches,<br />
which measured, in 1906, 42 feet by 3 feet 4 inches.<br />
At Tortworth <strong>the</strong>re is a healthy, well-shaped tree, not more than 40 years<br />
planted, which is about 40 feet by 5 feet 11 inches. This is in a ra<strong>the</strong>r exposed<br />
situation, and it had no fruit in 1905.<br />
At Woodstock, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, <strong>the</strong>re is a tree which seems to be <strong>the</strong><br />
largest now living in this country. Henry measured it in 1904 and found it 77 feet<br />
high by 10 feet 8 inches in girth, with a bole dividing into three stems at 10 feet<br />
from <strong>the</strong> ground and bearing fruit.<br />
TIMBER<br />
A large tree was blown down at Claremont Park, Surrey, <strong>the</strong> seat <strong>of</strong> H.R.H.<br />
<strong>the</strong> Duchess <strong>of</strong> Connaught, in 1902, which I am assured by Mr. Burrell, <strong>the</strong><br />
gardener <strong>the</strong>re, was a sorb. 2 Its trunk was sent to Mr. Snell <strong>of</strong> Esher, to whom I<br />
am indebted for two fine planks <strong>of</strong> its wood. These show a very hard, heavy,<br />
compact surface <strong>of</strong> a pinkish brown colour with a fine wavy grain, which takes<br />
an excellent polish, and this wood has been used with beautiful effect in <strong>the</strong> framing<br />
1 London speaks <strong>of</strong> a tree at Croome 45 years planted, and 80 feet high, which is possibly <strong>the</strong> same, but his measurements<br />
arc very unreliable.<br />
2 " Among interesting <strong>trees</strong> to be found at Claremont is a good specimen <strong>of</strong> tlie pear-shaped service, carrying a heavy<br />
crop <strong>of</strong> fruit. It is ra<strong>the</strong>r over 60 feet high and 7 feet 6 inches in girth at 2 feet from <strong>the</strong> ground." Note hy E. B. in Garden,<br />
1883, xxiv. 422. Mr. E. Burrell gives a fuller account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Claremont <strong>trees</strong> in <strong>the</strong> same journal, 1888, xxxiii. 154, in which<br />
he states that he thinks <strong>the</strong> variety maliforinis does not increase in height after it gets to be about 30 feet high, whereas<br />
pyriformis at Claremont is close on 70 feet high.<br />
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