138 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



cultivation, which I know to be accurate and reliable ; showing 

 that with scientific care and culture, certain varieties of pears 

 can be raised with much profit. 



J. Stickney, of Boston, obtained for his crop (which was a 

 large one) of Louise Bonne de Jersey, in 1856, ten dollars per 

 bushel. John Gordon, of Brighton, Mass., sold Bartlett pears 

 for several of the past seasons at ten dollars per bushel, while 

 the same variety, under mere common culture, and at the same 

 time, was selling at only three dollars per bushel. Elhvanger 

 and Barry, prominent nurserymen at Rochester, N. Y., who 

 cultivate the Glout Morceau largely, obtained three dollars 

 per dozen last winter, and T. G. Yeomans, of Walworth, N. Y., 

 who cultivate almost exclusively the Duchesse d'Angouleme 

 variety, sold, in 1857, his entire crop, from several hundred 

 trees, at fourteen dollars and fifty cents per barrel. Many other 

 instances might be mentioned where pear culture has been 

 made successful under proper attention, but I will conclude by 

 relating my own personal success. 



1 have in all about four hundred and ten pear trees of differ- 

 ent ages, the majority of which are four years old ; the pro- 

 portion of dwarfs to standards is about two-thirds, and my 

 collection embraces some fifty varieties, being of the best 

 summer, autumn, and winter kinds. My selection, which is 

 somewhat large, I would willingly compress into a dozen of the 

 old standard varieties, adding perhaps three of the newer kinds. 

 The spirit of adding to our collections beyond a certain number 

 of well-known, well-tested kinds, is much to be deprecated 

 among our pear cultivators. 



After some years of practical experimental knowledge in pear 

 culture, I am forced to admit that there are comparatively few 

 of the now almost endless varieties which can be safely recom- 

 mended as entirely satisfactory sorts; and in this statement I 

 will append the names of those varieties which may be fully 

 relied upon as worthy of extended culture, tried, and not found 

 wanting: — 



Vicar of Wink field, Louise Bonne de Jersey, and Angoulemc 

 (on quince,) and Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Seckel, Lawrence, 

 Bufi'um, lieurrd d'Anjou, Bourn' Supcrfin, and Sheldon, on the 

 pear stock, the last three newer kinds. If I were to select two 

 kinds from these eleven varieties, I should name the Bartlett 



