PEAR CULTURE. 207 



on the surface. You speak of trenching four feet. That would 

 carry the roots down beyond the reach of the sun. 



Mr. Clement. It ought to be remarked, at this juncture, 

 that the pear is different from the apple ; it inclines always to 

 strike its roots down deep. You scarcely ever find pear roots 

 on the surface, no matter where you go. They do not need to 

 lie near the warm surface ; and this soil which has been made 

 is not a cold place, by any manner of means. One reason why 

 the pear succeeds in such places, I think, is because it needs 

 higher feed than the apple, and in this soil, which is made and 

 filled up with street manure, which will decay by degrees and 

 be rich for a long time, it gets higher feed and more nourish- 

 ment than it could possibly get in an orchard, planted as we 

 plant apple trees. 



Mr. Dodge. I was told by a gentleman who has an orchard 

 in Wenham, who is a very observing man, that he used street 

 manure about his trees, and got the iron which is ground off of 

 the wheels of carriages and the shoes of horses, which he said 

 makes the trees healthy. 



Mr. Clement. Here again is another element. Wenham is 

 in the lower part of this county, and I have always heard that in 

 that part of Essex County there is a clay soil, which is very 

 favorable to the pear. 



Mr. Dodge. There is no clay in the soil I speak of. Further 

 off, in Ipswich, there is clay. 



Mr. Clement. Then it is remarkable ; but still, he may 

 furnish the clay by the application he makes. My experience 

 and my observation all lead me to believe that pears will do 

 vastly better where there is considerable clay. 



Mr. Dodge. A gentleman says there is some clay in Wen- 

 ham. Judging by the surface, I thought there was not. 



Mr. Clement. If there was not originally, I should suppose 

 there would have to be some applied to supply the deficiency. 



Then I would ask, do you want pears for your own family or 

 for market ? If for your family, you will want some very early, 

 some in the middle of the season, and some late. I have observed 

 a great many pears as well as apples, their bearing qualities, and 

 all their other characteristics ; and I have found, that for an 

 early variety, the Rostiezer is capital. 



