FRUITS. 149 



we find, by the census returns of Massachusetts a few years 

 ago, the apple and pear crop, amounting to something over 

 one and a half million dollars, and in a year, too, when the 

 apple was almost an entu'e failure, we realize something of 

 the importance which this crop is assuming. 



We believe that pears can be grown at a much greater profit 

 than apples, especially on our best land, in the immediate 

 vicinity of our growing towns and villages ; and are fully of 

 the opinion (and that opinion has been formed from observa- 

 tion) , that no more suitable soil is to be found in the Eastern 

 or Middle States for successful pear-growing, than is found 

 along the coast of this State and New Hampshire. It often 

 appears as though our sea breezes, or a taste of salt in the 

 subsoil, had an ameliorating efiect upon the fruit. But how- 

 ever this may be, it is pretty certain that the trees have 

 received more care and attention near our large cities on the 

 coast than in the interior. The pear delights in a deep, 

 rich soil, inclined to clay, or clayey loam ; yet we often see 

 very good results on a light, or sandy loam soil. Some va- 

 rieties, as the BuiFum or Louise Bonne, do best in a light 

 soil, while others, as the Duchesse and Beurre Diel, require a 

 damp and rich one. Fifteen or twenty years ago, when apple- 

 orchards were in their glory, and apples were plenty and 

 cheap, very little attention was given to pears, except near 

 the cities. But those days have passed away, with the ap- 

 pearance of the canker-worm, the borer, the apple-worm and 

 excessive droughts, and now not one apple-tree is planted 

 where there were a hundred then. With the present pros- 

 pect for apples, it may yet appear that apple-trees are worth 

 preserving. There has been of late much complaint of the 

 so-called Dwarf pear, and probably for most purposes the 

 standard is much the best ; but at present we will confine our- 

 selves wholly to the standard pear, or that worked upon the 

 pear stock, and afterwards shall have a word to say in favor 

 of the dwarf, or that worked on the quince stock. 



The first thing to be considered in planting the pear, 

 whether by the person who plants a few trees for family use, 

 or by him who plants more largely for profit, is a suitable 

 soil. None of our land is too good ; choose the best — such 

 laud as would raise heavy corn, gi-ass or vegetables — deep 



