322 TIIE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



That some localities abound in the necessary food. The tertiary formations in New Jersey, and 

 the trap <lykes in Connecticut, are rich in all necessary elements, and, without doulit, the 

 clays of the Detroit River banks contain more than the usual amount of phosphates. And it is 

 suggested, that — 



In some instances this tree is sustained for a long period of time by the accidental supply 

 of food. The dead carcass of some large animal may have been deposited near its location, a 

 pile of bones, leached ashes, decaying vegetable matter, the refuse of a slaughter-house, or 

 night-soil. Perhaps flocks of ducks, geese, hens, or turkeys make their roosts on or under 

 its boughs for days and months in succession. From these and similar sources, phosphate of 

 lime may be furnished. Other collateral influences have favored those bicenturians in certain 

 localities. The pear-tree requires a rather moist and tenacious soil ; not, however, wet and 

 saturated with stagnant water. If placed on a loamy or clayey soil, abounding in the requi- 

 site inorganic elements, with pure water percolating beneath at'a depth at which it can merely 

 be reached by the extreme roots, this tree will be as hardy, strong-growing, and durable as 

 the oak. Climate also exerts an influence on its health and prolificness. 



The deficiencies which occur in most soils may be, to some extent, artificially supplied. 

 Animal bones, urine, the sweepings of the poultry-house and yard, and guano are the prin- 

 cipal sources from whence the supplies must be furnished. My own trees have been greatly 

 improved, both in their vigor and productiveness, by burying about their roots large quanti- 

 ties of unground bones: time and weather break them down as rapidly as the trees call for 

 supplies. The surface of the ground has been dressed with ashes and refuse lime. Under 

 this course of treatment I never had a pear-tree attacked with any species of blight. This may 

 have been accidental. In conclusion, I would say that, in common localities, no one should 

 set out one pear-tree more than he can annually cultivate with care, and can constantly ripply, 

 in Borne form, with the requisite food. A starved fruit-tree is of no more profit than a starved 

 animal. — Rural New Yorker. 



Time when Pears should be Gathered. 



The following article, on the gathering and ripening of the pear, by M. De Jonghe, of 

 Brussels, is taken from the London Gardener's Chronicle: — 



Fo rmerly, when the varieties of pears in cultivation were comparatively few, there was 

 little difficulty in knowing the time when each sort ought to be gathered; but BOW, when the 



i umber of good varieties is so much increased, the proper time for gathering the res] tive 



Sorts cannot be known without a certain experience acquired <lurinir a period of from three 

 tofi- . in order that a mean maybe obtained; for the maturity of the fruit OB the 



tree depends — 



1. On the individual constitution of the tree and its liability to change. 2. On the soil in 



which the tees it planted 3. On the influence of the stock. 4. ()n the temperature of the 



on, whether more or lest favorable for Moderating the maturity of the fruit. In order 



to know exactly the mean period of maturity on the tr t' any particular variety of fruit, it 



i- ,,. in .,1,-erve several trees ..f Mich variety, planted in different soils and situations. 



With regard to the varieties of pean which ripen at tin- end of summer or early in autumn, 



it m not difficult to fix the date when they should i>o gathered; lor, in the same situation, 



this, in different jean, does not vary nvre than ten days. The Influence of soil, of stocks, 

 and of temperature BOM 01 lest warm and dry, i- let H irreat on early fruit- a- on the late 

 autumn, winter, and Spring Varieties. With regard to the summer and early autumn kinds 



tin-v oannol always be left to ripen oompletely on the tree, grown as a pyramid or standard; 



nnd it i to add thai the-,- torti "t" fruit- do not. in our climate, merit a wall, where, 



in fact, they are Ben in the open ground. When a considerable number of 



fruit- i- observed to have reached the point of maturity, and when, with a Blight pi' --me of 



the thumb, the stalk is readily detached, without twisting, at its junction with the spur, a 



portion of the fruit should then he gathered, and allowed to acquire their full maturity in the 

 fi uit-room. This first gathering will case the tr. e, and the whole of the nutritive sap will be 



