STANDARDS, OR DWARFS. 95 



I prune lightly every spring, and have not been troubled 

 with blight or insects. 



The most profitable pear-trees to set out are standards for 

 most kinds ; dwarf for the Duchesse and Vicars. 



I pick my pears when they will part freely from the tree. 

 Different kinds of pears vary in ripening : some are ripe in a 

 week or two after picking ; others will keep a number of 

 months, keeping best and longest when kept as cool as pos- 

 sible. 



The ten varieties recommended by me for profit are Bart- 

 lett, Sheldon, Louise Bonne de Jersey,- Belle Lucrative, Buf- 

 fum, Beurre d'Anjou, Beurre Bosc, Duchesse d'Angouleme, 

 Lawrence, and Vicar of Winkfield. 



Pear-trees should not be manured very heavily, for the 

 reason, if they make too large a growth, they are more apt to 

 winter-kill, as the wood does not get hardened up and ripe 

 enough to withstand severe cold, 



Bartletts, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Buffum, and Vicar do 

 better if the fruit is thinned out when small, as these varieties 

 are very apt to overbear. , 



[Reply of J. Henry Hill of Amesbury.] 



The soil is a gravelly and clay loam, with a subsoil from a 

 coarse gravel to a hard clay, enriched annually with stable- 

 manure and ashes. I have never used any commercial fertil- 

 izers on my trees, but consider flour of bone and German 

 salts good for all varieties of fruit. 



I give my trees an annual pruning, using a sharp knife. 1 

 do not let any limbs that should be removed grow large, but 

 prune when small, and then it will make no difference about 

 the season. If the tree has been neglected until the limbs 

 that should have been removed grow large, I would advise 

 cutting them either in November or June. My trees have 

 been free from blight and insects. 



The most profitable tree to set out depends on the nature 

 of soil, amount of land to be planted, and number of varie- 

 ties wanted. For heavy clay loam I should plant dwarfs. 

 For light, gravelly, or sandy soil, plant standards by all 

 means ; because standards in the garden would require too 



