218 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



foot of the ground and running out nearly horizontal, with a gentle curve upward — 

 thus giving to the top a pyramidal form, with its greatest diameter perpendicular to 

 the row. 



Planted and pruned in this way, each tree protects its neighbor from the scorching 

 sun at noon day. I have practised, and can highly recommend the planting of Black 

 Raspberries in the rows, one hill between the dwarfs, and two between the standards. 



They shade the ground in the heat of summer, and the shade of the pear trees is 

 beneficial to the raspberries. I would also recommend the planting of evergreens mid- 

 way between the rows, fifteen to twenty feet apart. When planting on the sandy soil, 

 I should plant standards, and treat them the same as described; for the clay only, I 

 would plant deeper and not plow the soil up to them, except ones the first fall. I 

 would always prefer the sandy soil above described to clay, for standards. 



I will now give a few of the facts that have caused me to adopt the above system : 

 In what way does our climate differ from the climate of Belgium, which is I believe, 

 conceded to be the paradise of the pear? Our climate is ten times more changeable 

 than that of Belgium in every way ; extreme changes from heat to cold, from wet to 

 dry ; our sun is brighter both in summer and winter ; we have a great many more clear 

 days and nights, our atmosphere is much dryer. Our soils are not as I believe essent- 

 ially different, except that ours contains more humus than the long cultivated soils 

 of Europe ; but if we plant on the before mentioned soils, we overcome that difficulty, 

 60 we have nothing to contend against, except climatic influences. Close planting and 

 heading back, and inclining the trees to the south counteracts in a great measure, the 

 brightness of our sun and clear skies. The sheltering of the ground under the trees 

 with growing bushes and clover, keeps the soil cool and moist, prevents the reduction 

 of heat, and protects the soil in a measure, from becoming over saturated with water 

 in the growing season. Deep planting puts the roots down out of reach of sudden dry. 

 ness or over wetness, as well as out of reach of sudden heat and cold, and the soil being 

 naturally warm, dry and pliable, the roots stay where they are put. I look for very 

 beneficial results to be attained from root grafting the pear, as I find a great want of 

 congeniality in many seedlings to the variety worked on them. Root grafting and using 

 the smallest possible amount of root, and in that way getting our varieties on their own 

 roots, will, I think, remedy this want of congeniality. After careful study of the 

 theories and recent practice of the same, or perhaps one of our noted horticulturists,* 

 I still hold to the opinion that the most fatal form of Pear blight is caused by an over- 

 engorgement of the leaves and other cellular tissues of the tree with crude sap, at a 

 time when the leaves are rendered incapable of elaborating it properly, by the extreme 

 heat of the sua and dryness of the atmosphere ; in fact is caused exactly the same as 

 founder in a horse, by overfeeding at a time when the whole system is in a weakened 

 condition ; and further, it is a notorious fact that the pear, like most other exotics, has 

 its foliage greatly enfeebled in this climate, and may, and I am sure does, have its entire 

 foliage rendered incapable of properly elaborating sap at all, in a very short space of 

 time. Assuming this to be a fact, if, at the same time, the tissues be engorged by a 

 strong pressure of crude sap, should blight astonish us ? Would not apoplexy be a more 

 proper name for it? A strong vigorous bottom to the tree would add its mite to the 

 result. Then let us try the pear on its own roots. Root pruning may, in a great 



*Dr. Hull, of Alton, Ills. 



