230 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



My neighbor and myself planted orchards of about 4,000 pear trees apiece. 

 He cut all his trees back to a bare stub, -while mine were cut back scarcely any 

 at all. AVe encountered a severe drouth the first season, at the close of which 

 400 of my trees were found to be carrying more foliage than 4,00u of his, and 

 roots proportionately; his died the worst, though nursed far the most through 

 the drouth. I only refer to the above facts as a practical hint or lesson. 



Heading back should be done, if at all, the second year, when formally and 

 finally forming the head, and the subsequent shortening in done by summer 

 pinching. Rub and pluck out superfiuous buds and shoots as they appear, and 

 little further pruning is required. 



It too rank a growth is shown by certain trees and varieties, at the expense 

 of pears and fruit-buds, bend the branches downwards before midsummer, and 

 hold them in pendant form by weighting them or tying, or any appliance you 

 please. This proves a sovereign remedy, far preferable to root pruning, which 

 I do abominate equal with blood letting. In no soil that is fit for pear orchards 

 will this root pruning and ^Mifting" operation be necessary. Let us grow 

 pears in soils and locations where neither diseased wood nor too gross feeding 

 roots are produced, and we will not have to resort to root pruning or other 

 heroic treatment. Doubtless such soils and locations abound in the Fruit Belt 

 of Western Micliigan, where may be found orchards containing thousands of 

 pear trees wholly free from blight or any disease, no decaying branches and 

 diseased wood are seen, and severe pruning and the new-fangled 'Mifting pro- 

 cesses," with their supporting theories, would be deemed alike absurd and hurt- 

 ful, as applied to localities favorable to pear growing. 



For places where these barbarisms would be required our suggestion is to let 

 standard pears alone, not even attempting them ; fall back upon dwarfs in the 

 garden if they must grow the pear at all. In treating of pears, I have spoken 

 of standards only, having little satisfactory experience to tell you of, in dwarf 

 pears. Any advice on treatment of dwarfs I leave to others. In my last- 

 planted pear orchard I set not a single dwarf, but over 4,500 standard pears. 

 Cut sparingly is my theory for pruning in the pear orchard, but if you must 

 cut, do it mainly in the fall or else defer it till about July 1st, always bearing 

 in mind that the pear should be handled with all due gentleness and true ten- 

 derness, not being adapted to roughing it — this heaven sent child of the orch- 

 ard ! this angel spirit of the fruits! Why force this beautiful grower to take 

 on the arbitrary form of each planter's or author's capricious fanc}^ when it is 

 already endowed with every natural line and trait of symmetry requisite to the 

 critical eye of taste and culture? 



But with those of the o])posite theory and practice it would seem they cut 

 and prune for everything, and for directly opposite reasons and purposes. If 

 the trees show too much strength and vigor, they cut, cramp and shorten the 

 towering forms that proudly are reaching toward the goodly proportions de- 

 signed for them as His monumental jiillars of wisdom, strength and beauty, 

 combined by the Great Architect of our ancient orchard temple. Are we 

 working under a new regime that these, our goodly columns, so easily crumble 

 in premature weakness and decay? Shall we not examine into the causes.'' I 

 said they prune for opposite effects, and root prune the tree or *Mift" to hurry 

 into early bearing or to change from natural forms. Or if it has been over- 

 productive and temporarily lost its vigor, gone to a needful rest from its labor 

 to recreation — is lying by for recuperation — this dormancy must be rudely 

 broken in upon, the tree must be cut down to an eye or bud to force a dormant 

 eye to shoot, as it must be strong enough to push one shoot to a rapid growth. 



