MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 385 



Under the old-fashioned plan of neglecting the pruning of pear trees, 

 those on their own roots, or standards, as they are generally called, 

 were very slow to come into bearing. Thus the old saying, " he who 

 plants pears plants for his heirs" came into use. It was found, how- 

 ever, that some kinds of pears, the Seckel, for example, came into 

 bearing very early on their own roots. The kinds that do this mostly 

 grow a great many short shoots, and as there is not plant food enough 

 to extend all these shoots into branches, the shoots put out fruit buds 

 and begin to bear. 



By the judicious pinching back of the strongest shoots during 

 the growing season this bushy hf^bit of growth with consequent fruit- 

 fulness may be produced in almost any variety. Different kinds must 

 be pruned differently, however. On very rich soil, if it is cultivated 

 highly, an excessive pruning will be needed. The Seckel probably 

 needs pruning less than any other, but on very rich soil it will also 

 spire up, as it is the habit of most pear trees to do. In fact, when the 

 standard pear tree is made to bear early, it is done by pinching back 

 the shoots in summer and making it, so far as possible, a dwarf tree. 

 This pinching back is one of the secrets of maintaining productive- 

 ness in dwarf trees. After a few years, however, this summer pinch- 

 ing back weakens the quince roots and the pear tree outgrows them, 

 and often breaks off where the pear and quince have been joined. To 

 prevent this soil may be gradually drawn around the pear tree so as 

 to encourage it to put out roots from the pear stock. Then it will 

 grow the same as any other pear tree, but the bearing habit formed 

 when the tree was a dwarf will be continued. 



There are a few kinds of pears that succeed better as dwarfs 

 than as standards. The Duchess, Beurre de Anjou, Flemish Beauty, 

 Keiffer and Louise Boone are most commonly grown as dwarfs. Bart- 

 lett, Seckel and Clapp's Favorite will grow well either way, and come 

 into bearing reasonably early as standards. As a dwarf, the Bartlett 

 will begin to bear the third year after planting in this climate. In 

 California, fruit is sometimes produced the second year, but its longer 

 growing season, and possibly the pinching by drouth, accounts for 

 this precocity in fruit bearing. 



As a rule, early fruit bearing is at the expense of long life. We 

 very rarely now see very old pear trees. The excessive pinching 

 back to which they are subjected causes the trees to overbear. When 

 a pear tree comes slowly into bearing, which is when it has not been 

 pruned much, it will live to great age, and be fruitful so long as sup- 

 plied with the needed mineral fertilizers. — Ex. 

 H— 25 



