130 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLmOIS 



"What if we are sometimes disappointed? if our trees are occasionally blighted by 

 disease, infested by insects, damaged by storms of hail or wind? We should expect 

 all these things. All our crops are subject to like accidents and frequently fail us. 

 Life is a constant struggle with failures. "We dig down deep into the bowels of the 

 earth for the precious metal, but often we dig in vain. Our ships go down at sea and 

 our hopes with them. Our ventures in trade and speculation often come to naught. 

 In the midst of such uncertainties whysh:»uldwe expect Pear culture to be exempt 

 from occasional failures? Some writers in their gloomy moments write as though it 

 were a complete failure. That the few cases of success are only partial successes, and 

 exceptions at that. This is the dark side of the picture, and as a matter of fact is not 

 true. Pear culture has been eminently successful in a multitude of instances in many 

 parts of our country. One thousand barrels of Pears are sent into our markets to-day 

 where there were not ten even as late as ten years ago. Prices do not decline, because 

 our population increases rapidly, and people consume more than formerly. See how 

 many are sold in the shops and about our streets, even at enormous prices. 



In many districts of our country, for instance in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, 

 Ohio, Illinois, etc., large orchards are being planted. I saw it stated the other day 

 that in Delaware one man had an orchard of 16,000 trees, mostly in bearing. "We are 

 making great progress, and that we have not made more is owing chiefly to the fact 

 that our people are impatient to grow lich. They are not willing to wait, bestow care 

 and culture, encounter and subdue difficulties and disappointments. They rush into 

 Pear culture as into many other enterprises, without due reflection or preparation, 

 but with "great expectations." Before the trees arrive at bearing age a new enter- 

 prise comes up, and the Pear orchard is abandoned, or a few trees die, it may be some 

 other temporary difficulty occurs, patience fails, and the enterprise is given up. 



I could name a large number of what were at one time promising beginnings of 

 Pear culture thus abandoned without a reason worthy of the name. Grape culture 

 has had the same experience, and so of many other branches of agricultural and hor- 

 ticultural industry. The truth is, they are too often not entered upon in the spirit 

 which should animate the cultivator of the soil, but rather as speculations , expected to 

 realize immense profits, and that quickly. We know that Pear culture can be made 

 highly remunerative in many districts of our country, and for home use can be pro- 

 duced successfully in almost every farm and gai'den in the Union. During the past 

 season the Pears of New England and California have stood side by side in exhibitions 

 and shop windows — extremes literally meeting. 



Now, as to the requisites for successful Pear culture. The first is — 



The Soil. — We know that the Pear will grow and grow well, and bear fine fruit, on a 

 great variety of soils, even those of the most opposite character. I have seen splendid 

 crops on sandy soils light enough to blow away, and on clay soils stifl" enough for the 

 manuf\iL-ture of bricks, and on all intei'mediate grades of texture. One of the best 

 Pear gardens T have seen was in a reclaimed marsh. But while it is ti'ue that the Pear 

 adapts itself to a great variety of soils, it can not be denied that some are better for it 

 than others. In garden culture it is easy to supply any defects that may exist, or 

 make any alterations that may be necessary, but for large commercial orchards the 

 general character of the soil can not be changed materially, hence it is important that 

 it be as nearly right as possible. 



The soil which experience has shown to be best adapted to the Pear on the whole, is 



