THE TEN BEST PEARS. 89 



Sheldon. A fine grower and a good bearer ; sells for the 

 highest price. Sold at from two dollars and a half to three 

 dollars per bushel. 



Beurre Clairgeau. An early, abundant bearer ; a magnifi- 

 cent market-fruit, large and handsome. Sold mine this year 

 for three dollars per bushel. 



Beurre Bosc. Excellent and high flavored; ranks high 

 with fruit-dealers. Sold this year for three dollars per 

 bushel. 



Beurre d'Anjou. A fine pear ; productive and profitable ; 

 no orchard is complete without it. Sold at from two dollars 

 and a half to three dollars per bushel. 



Duchesse d'Angoulcme. One of the best and most popu- 

 lar in the list. Sold at from two dollars and half to three 

 dollars per bushel. 



Louise Bonne de Jersey. Very productive ; good grower ; 

 finds a ready market. Sold at from two dollars to two dol- 

 lars and a half per bushel. 



Lawrence. An excellent bearer; one of the very best 

 winter pears. Sells high, selling at from two dollars and a 

 half to three dollars per bushel. 



Vicar of Winkfield. On account of its great productive- 

 ness, ripening when most all others are gone, it finds a ready 

 sale at from two dollars to three dollars per bushel. 



In answering your questions T give you that which I have 

 learned from practical experience, though not on a very 

 large scale. I have a little orchard of seventy-five trees, all 

 standards save some Duchesse. I grew the ten varieties I 

 named in the list for profit. I can rely on them even when 

 apples fail ; and when apples are a drug, as is the case this 

 year, they sell for a fair price, and the demand for the fruit 

 is constantly increasing year after year. The pear .succeeds 

 best on a rather heavy loam : the soil should be kept clean 

 and mellow, with a broadcast manuring and cultivation, 

 which they require during the growing season. If a hill of 

 corn requires cultivation to accomplish its mission well, how 

 much more so does a bearing tree ! 



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