310 State Horticultural Society, 



fruits that grow, and can be had from early July to December by 

 being careful in the selection of the varieties. 



Culture — The culture differs with different persons. I let the 

 blue grass grow up and choke my trees, thus checking the growth 

 and thereby reducing the blight, but must admit that those who 

 cultivate thoroughly have finer fruit from same varieties. 



Kinds of Soil — While I think pears do well in most of the soil 

 in Missouri, at the same time I know that not all land is suited to 

 pear culture; for instance, take my county of Stone, and the land 

 from Galena south for forty or fifty miles, and probably as far east 

 and west, grow them to perfection, while just a few miles north 

 they have very poor success. It has been suggested that the reason 

 for our success is our close proximity to the cotton rock, which 

 abounds in our vicinity. Whether that reason will hold good or 

 not, I do not know. I have my trees on a southeastern slope near 

 the James river, on gravelly soil, with a clay sub-soil which holds 

 the moisture, and they do exceedingly well. 



Varieties — While I have been planting almost every known 

 variety, it has been for experimental purposes rather than for 

 profit, and, with my limited knowledge, I would now plant, for com- 

 mercial purposes, Keiffer and Duchess d' Angouleme, because 

 they seem to be almost entirely free from blight. For eating, 1 

 would plant Bartlett, Idaho, Clapp's Favorite and Seckle> although 

 they will all blight badly. 



One reason for the above list, with the exception of Seckle, is 

 that they are all large, nice and showy. 



Diseases and Remedy — Blight seems to be the great enemy of 

 the pear, for which I cut the blighted limbs back about one foot be- 

 low the blight, or further, if the limb shows signs of blight lower 

 down, and burn the cuttings. The knife should be dipped in a solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid or some other solution to disinfect the blade be- 

 fore cutting sound wood on any other part of the tree. 



A few years ago the State Horticultural Society recommended 

 that a slit be made in the bark of the tree and a few grains of cal- 

 omel be inserted in the incision. Whether that proved a success 

 or not, I am not able to say, as I have never tried it, but I do not 

 believe that there has ever been a satisfactory remedy found. 

 Everybody has a remedy for blight as well as borers, but they are 

 a success only in the minds of the introducer of the remedy. 



Time to Plant — I prefer fall planting in our part of the State, 

 because the trees get the dirt firmly about the roots, and, as most 

 of our winters are not very cold, the little, white, tender roots grow 



