| Re: medlar tree
My grandmother's working life was in domestic service and she always refered to the medlar by it's vulgar name. The tree used to fascinate me as a child and I chose one along with three other species as a twenty first birthday present from my other grandmother. It survived a couple of moves but hopefully remains in the garden of an estate cottage in the centre of the county of Chester.
Having tried to enjoy the bletted / jellied fruits many times, the best advice I can offer is - don't bother unless you like gritty tannic mush! Loudon says in his Encycolpaedia of Gardening (1878) that "the fruit is eaten raw in a state of incipient decay; its taste and flavour are peculiar, and by some much esteemed."
The tree is one to enjoy as Dobies description in Fourwings post is accurate. I know of several locally to me, there is a fine row of them on the east side of the A6 as it leaves Kendal alonside the school playing field opposite the Texaco garage.
They are easily propagated by planting the stones from a ripe fruit and best grafted on to Hawthorn stock, but can be grafted on to self stock.  |