THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 761 



is the Matter With the Apple Business ? " In this most excellent paper 

 Mr. Gwin shows clearly the danger of too many varieties. 



It sometimes happens that new or better varieties are needed, but 

 they should be added with the ultimate intention of having them take 

 the place of inferior varieties already growing and not to increase the 

 total number of varieties. This holds true with the individual as well 

 as with the district as a whole. Where orchards are large the number 

 of varieties grown may be the maximum number suited to the district, 

 providing the soils are suitable ; however, with the small grower it is 

 best to restrict the plantings to two or three varieties. As a business 

 proposition, it is never advisable to plant less of any one variety than 

 will produce carload shipments, unless it be for pollination purposes. 



In setting out a pear orchard less regard may 'oe had for the char- 

 acter of the soil than for almost 'any other kind of fruit. It will sreri- 

 erally do well over a tight clay hardpan where almost any other fruit 

 would fail. It will also thrive in clay loams and adobes as well as in 

 calcareous and alkali soils. The pear will flourish whether the water 

 is near or far from the surface, and can endure complete submergence 

 in water for a considerable length of time without being killed. Dur- 

 ing periods of high water in the lower Sacramento River districts I 

 have seen pear orchards completely under water, wliich did not fully 

 subside for several months. The regular orchard work, such as spray- 

 ing, pruning and thinning, was carried on by the use of boats and 

 barges. However, the pear demands a good soil for its best develop- 

 ment, and naturally the heavier alluvial, clay loam and other types 

 rich in plant food are the best. The varietv which is least exacting 

 is the Bartlett. Anjou, Clairgeau, Howell, Nelis and Bosc thrive on 

 heavy soils, including the heavy adobes. For early bearing such 

 varieties as the Bosc and Comice are best grown upon the clay loam 

 soils. The Comice comes into bearing rather slowly if grown on too 

 heavy soil. While the Nelis produces the best quality of fruit on the 

 lighter clay loam soils it does riot attain as good siw as the market 

 demands. However, increased size of the fruit might be secured by 

 irrigating during seasons of minimum rainfall. 



The distance for the planting standard pear trees Avill depend some- 

 what upon the varieties. Due regard must be had for such varieties 

 as the Bosc or Anjou. which have a tendency to grow in a spreading 

 form, as against the Comice and Bartlett, which are naturally upright 

 growers. The iTiaximum distance for spreading varieties should not 

 be over 80 feet, either square or hexagonal system. The minimum 

 distance should not be less than 22 feet, square or hexagonal. The 

 average distance practiced in the Rogue River Valley is 25 feet, both 

 systems. However, the common practice is not to plant solid blocks of 

 any one variety, for the reason that certain varieties are self-sterile and 

 require the pollen of other varieties to fertilize the blossoms. 



Self-sterility and self-fertility are not constant quantities in the 

 same variety; that is to say, the variety may be self-sterile in one 

 district and self-fertile in another. One can not tell beforehand just 

 what a variety will do when taken from one district into" another where 

 climatic conditions and soils are very different. On the Pacific coast 

 there is a greater tendency to self-fertility than in the East, although 

 varieties in the self-sterile group under Eastern conditions and quite 



