DECREPTITUDE OF THE PEAR-TREE. 



BY J. DE JONGE, BRUSSELS. 



Every individual being, whether of an animal or vegetable nature, 

 bas its average period of existence, during which it passes through 

 all its stages, falls into decay, and, arrived at its limit, disappears 

 from the face of the earth. As many years as a seedling Pear- 

 tree requires to arrive at its full growth, so many years it takes to 

 decay and die off. The age depends on the particular race, its de- 

 gree of acclimation, the conditions, more or less favorable, under 

 which the tree has been planted, and the care with which it has 

 been subsequently managed. 



Of all fruit-trees, the Pear, when sprung from a good race, attains 

 the greatest age. This age varies from one hundred or one hun- 

 dred and fifty up to three hundred years, or more. It is easy to 

 ascertain its age by examining, when the tree has been sawed over 

 by the ground, the annual layers which show the progress of its 

 growth, its stoppage, and decline. These layers, very large near 

 the center, become smaller and smaller towards the circumference, 

 where they are almost imperceptible. It is in accidental situations 

 that trees attaining the greatest age are found; but the soil must be 

 rich, deep, and free from stagnant water. From these observations, 

 the truth of which may be corroborated by every careful observer, 

 it will be understood how necessary it is, in our cold and variable 

 climate, when it is intended that the trees should attain a great age, 

 only to plant stocks raised from seeds of hardy and vigorous sorts. 

 In raising from seed, there are always some seedlings which have no 

 similarity to their parents. For this reason, it is necessary to make 

 a careful selection in the second year of their growth. All the seed- 

 lings which have a smooth bark, of an olive-green color, spotted 

 with grey, and a stem that naturally grows straight and upright, 

 may be considered to possess the characteristics indicative of firm- 

 ness of growth and long duration. 



The seedlings from the AVild Pear of the woods have been pat- 

 ronized ; some authors have recommended the Sucree Vertc Pear, 

 which succeeds better in a strong soil than those of the Poire 

 d'xVmanda and Xapoleon. In several experiments made within the 

 last ten years, we have obtained fine stocks from these three varie- 

 262 



