234 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Double Working. When it is desired to cultivate a variety upon 

 the quince which does not succeed when budded directly upon it, 

 such sort may be grafted or budded upon some free-growing variety 

 already well established upon the quince root ; — for instance, the 

 Seckel can thus be grafted on the Beurre d'Amalis, and so a tree 

 be obtained which will bear much earlier than the Seckel would 

 upon the pear root. This plan is better adapted to the wants of 

 the amateur than for the orchardist. It can be profitably practised 

 only to a very limited extent. 



Pruning and Training of Dwarf Pears. 



The pruning and training of pear trees in a way to bring them 

 into a pyramidal form is almost universally recommended in books 

 on fruit culture, and very minute directions are laid down for its 

 accomplishment. As very few of our readers will be inclined to 

 devote the time and patience requisite, it will be only briefly no- 

 ticed. It is really a very pretty method, if one can afford it, 

 though better fitted to sections where deep snows prevail less, 

 than here, and so where less danger exists of the lower limbs being 

 crushed. 



For this purpose the trees are planted at one year old, at from 

 eight to ten feet apart, (usually on the quince root, although those 

 on the pear root may also be trained in the same way.) The first 

 year's growth is headed back to within six or eight eyes. Conse- 

 quently the remaining buds shoot vigorously. About the end of 

 June the growth of all but the leading shoot is stopped by pinch- 

 ing the ends, and if any are not in the position desired, they are 

 tied so as to bring them to it. The leader grows on vigorously 

 and sometimes it is stopped the same season, and sometimes it is 

 cut back the following year, to induce the throwing out of another 

 tier of limbs ; and so on, in successive years,, until the tree has at- 

 tained its full size ; and all the while " stopffing " (by pinching its 

 end so as to leave an inch or two which shall then dcvelopo into a 

 fruit spur,) every shoot which dares to start where you wish it 

 not to grow. It involves close attention and much skill. Some 

 sorts assume a good, regular form wnth much less care than others, 

 while some are so bent on awkward ways as to defy almost any 

 amount of skill and attention. 



For our use it is well to let them grow as dwarf standards ; that 

 is, just, like other standards, only with limbs as low as consists 



