136 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



to exhaastioii from bearing ; requires tlie same careful culture. It is a fruit of fine 

 quality, though not fully equal to Easter Beurre. 



Duchesse de Bordeaux of recent introduction, promises to be valuable. Dr. 

 Hougliton, of Philadelphia, who has for several years been experimenting, specially 

 with winter pears, regards them as the best he has fruited. I am indebted to him for 

 specimens, and as far as I may form an opinion from them, I think it wDlbe a valuable 

 sort. The skin is very thick, which gives it good carrying quaUties. It is melting and 

 A'inous, something like the Easter Beurre. 



The class of pears known as baking pears, the flesh of which does not become soft 

 and melting, are not yet in demand, but I have no doubt they will be in a short time. 



Such varieties asUvedales St. Germain, Catillac, Easter Bergamot, Leon le Clerc de 

 liaval, and many others are all excellent for baking, stewing and confectioners; and as 

 the uses of pears become better understood there will be demand for them. It is 

 probable that the high prices of pears at present deters confectioners from attempting 

 to use them. 



Pears that are Failing .—Omv once famous White Doyenne, the finest of all pears at 

 one time, and yet if in perfection, has generally fallen into decline. It has been 

 attacked with a sort of fungus on the skin, which destroys it. It is now abandoned 

 in all the Eastei'u and Middle States. In some parts of the West on new soils it seems 

 to flourish yet . 



The Flemish Beauty is threatened with the same misfortune, and is now planted 

 very sparingly. Ten years ago it was one of the most popular. 



The Beurre Diel, a noble fruit, has also ceased to be reliable, and is very little 

 planted . Other varieties will doubtless go the same way. We must expect it and be 

 prepared. When a variety fails, the remedy is graft over— lose no time. Trees can 

 be changed with a loss not exceeding two or three crops, and with comparatively little 

 labor. 



Finally, we may sum up the chief conditions necessai-j' to success in pear culture as 

 follows : 



1. A deep, dry, fertile soil. 



2. A sheltered situation. 



3. Good clean tillage of the soil, including manures or fertilizers when needed. 



4. Judicious pruning and training. 



5. Thinning the iiiiit and removing and destroying all wormy, diseased and deformed 

 fruit. 



6. Prompt removal of trees or parts of trees affected by blight. 



7. Fill up the places of dead trees with new ones, and of dead branches with grafts 

 if necessary to restore balance of the tree. 



8. Keep some reserve trees on hand to fill vacancies. 



9. Graft over promptly such as fail, with one that has proved valuable. 



10. Select varieties as far as practicable that have proved successful in the locality 

 or the nearest locality where exi^erience may be had. 



11. Make an experimental plot where all the varieties of great promise may be 

 tested, and thus ascertain what is and is not adapted to the locality. 



Dr. Hull — You speak of pears being frozen. Do you think 10 or 12 

 degrees below zero would injure them ? 



