174 



The friends of the "pedigree" Le Conte and Keiffer stock for these two pears 

 claim : 



(1) That these pears on their own roots make a far better and more uniform growth 

 than those on French stock ; (2) that while they do not always come into bearing 

 quite as soon as a rule as those on the French stock, yet when they do begin to bear 

 they produce more per tree, aud continue to increase year after year, ^vhile those on 

 French stock die early and do not bear uniformly, some bearing profitable crops aud 

 others none ; (3) that those on their own roots never sucker from the roots, while the 

 sprouts from the roots of the French stock are so numerous and persistent that they 

 become a great nuisance to the cultivator, necessitating high pruning to get at them ; 

 (4) that those on French stock are more subject to disease than those on their own 

 roots; (5) that the affinity of the French stock for the Oriental pear is not close, as 

 the stock becomes much enlarged below the place of graft, aud also throws out ex- 

 creseuces of abnormal tissue near the top of the stock. 



The author visited a number of orchards in North, Central, and Southern Texas 

 and examined the roots (often over three feet below the surface) of grafted and un- 

 graf ted trees, removed some entirely from the soil, split open the trunk and found 

 the original graft, noted the comparative growth between trees of the same age and 

 under the same treatment, and made a few sketches of specimens showing the exact 

 conditions of stock and scion after several years' growth. 



The important facts gathered from these observations -were: (1) That where the 

 Le Conte or Keitier Avas grafted upon the French stock or apple stock, and was set 

 deep enough, the scion invariably threw out its own roots, and that the scion made 

 an effort proportionate to its strength aud hold upon the soil to throw off the stock, 

 and in several cases had succeeded in doing it. * * * This tendency has led 

 some to the erroneous belief that the Le Conte grows as well on the French stock as 

 on its roots. * * * 



(2) That where the Le Conte and Keiffer and other varieties were planted so shallow 

 that they were forced to grow upon the French or apple stock, the stock outgrew the 

 sciou in every case, forming an ugly enlargement from the point of graft downward, 

 and in all cases they threw up sprouts. These sprouts make it difficult to cultivate 

 an orchard, as an incessant amount of labor is necessary to keep them down, and it 

 requires high prnuiug of the limbs that they may be reached. * * * 



(3) That grafted trees forced to grow only on the French stock were far less vigor- 

 ous and less uniform in their growth than those on their own roots. Some of the 

 grafted trees are more than double the size of other grafted ones, while those on 

 their own roots are symmetrical and uniform to a high degree. As to time of coming 

 into bearing and prolificuess of grafted and uugrafted Le Conte aud Keiffer trees, 

 there is no doubt that th'> grafted tree bears younger in most localities, but it never 

 bears as heavily as the tree on its own roots. The time when the Le Conte on its own 

 roots begins to bear varies with the conditions of soil, latitude, and culture. * * » 



The author is confident that the Le Conte thrives best in every respect in a strip of 

 ■ territory not over a hundred miles wide and lying next to the Gulf from Texas to 

 Florida, inclusive. Also that it must be grown on well-drained lands, and best on a 

 heavy clay subsoil with a shallow soil above. 



As to the Le Conte or Keiffer beiug more subject to diseases on a particular stock, 

 I will say that it depends on soil, latitude, and culture. As already shown, the 

 Le Conte and Keiffer are far less subject to blight on well-drained soils in the Gulf 

 region on their own roots than on the French stock. * * * 



In all of my correspondence only three recommend the use of the French stock for 

 the Le Conte and Keiffer pears, while many, without solicitation on my part, stated 

 that they believed the Le Conte to be the best stock for European pears. 



Eefereuce is made to successful experiments by Mr. W. Jenuiugs, of 

 Thomasville, Georgia, iu improving European varieties of pears by 



