MANAGEMENT OF PEAR-TR]i:ES. 231 



what resemble the canker-worms, for a good many years. 

 They crawl along the bark, and I catch them with printer's 

 ink the same as I do the female canker-worm. But what 

 mischief they do, or by what name they are known, I do not 

 know. 



Mr. J. S. Lewis. In my experience with canker-worms 

 last year, I found that if the}' dropped off the tree to the 

 ground, or I shook them off, or poked them off with a pole, 

 they would crawl up again. I thought I would stop that 

 this year, and I put a network around the tree ; and the 

 result was, I destroyed thousands of them. They could not 

 get up. I found this fall, that, where I did that thing, there 

 are not so many females, or so many of the males, by a 

 great deal. There was one large tree that I could not reach 

 at all, and the males and females are quite numerous on 

 that. 



Question. How large should a pear-tree grow in diame- 

 ter before it is allowed to bear at all ? 



Dr. Fisher. It depends a little upon the varieties you 

 are cultivating. My opinion is, if you are growing the 

 Urbaniste or Dix, you may let them alone. They will not 

 bear at all until pretty large, and then they will never bear 

 half enough. The Bartlett, which is my principal crop, is 

 inclined always to bear too young and too much ; and that 

 is the cause of the destruction of a great many trees. 



Question. Would you allow a young tree to bear as 

 soon as it sees fit to ? 



Dr. Fisher. I would not generally allow a young Bart- 

 lett tree to bear at all. If such a tree is growing well all 

 over, you may allow it to bear a little. It is a matter of 

 judgment. If a tree is not making wood it should not be 

 allowed to bear, unless it has got some size. No very young 

 tree that is growing rapidly should be allowed to bear : if it 

 does, the fruit will not be very good. Size and vigor of 

 tree are of vastly more value than a few specimens of 

 fruit. 



Mr. Whitaker. Would you apply the same rule in re- 

 gard to thinning to the Seckel pear? 



Dr. Fisher. Yes, sir, I would, and rather more so. A 

 Seckel pear, to be of good quality, must be large. 



Mr. Brown. I have upon my grape-vines an insect that 



