18G9. ] 



THE STOCKS OF APPLE AND PEAR TEEES. 133 



juice rich and sweet, a little musky, very refreshing, and grateful to the palate. 

 Tree hardy, and a prolific bearer as an orchard standard. Season, beginning of 

 September, extending to the middle or end of the month. The fruits ripen in 

 succession, like those of the Seckle, as they fall from the tree ; it is, however, 

 better to gather them when they begin to fall, as by that means their season is 

 prolonged, and they are also of better flavour, than if allowed to ripen on the tree. 



This is a Pear of American origin, as its name implies, and rather an old one 

 too ; yet it has somehow or other been strangely neglected, and is at the present 

 time almost unknown, having been passed over for more showy, but less worthy 

 varieties. To our knowledge, it has never yet been figured or described. We 

 have, however, three manuscript notices of it, beginning with that of Mr. E. 

 Thompson in 1829, all speaking of it in the highest terms. To this we add 

 our own experience of it for several years, and heartily recommend it as a good 

 and useful early Pear. B. 



THE STOCKS OF APPLE AND PEAK TREES. 



iftfOn' UCH has been said and written respecting the influence of the stocks on 

 (OJji^H Apple and Pear trees. In general, dwarf apple trees are grafted on 



GJrai* '" P arac ^ se " stocks, and pears upon the quince, with a view to their 

 c§5 being made bushy; while standards of both kinds are respectively 

 worked on crab and pear stocks to increase their growth. But though both 

 methods are in common use, the practice just named hardly accords with the 

 theory that the tops of trees have as much influence on the roots as these have 

 on the branches. This being admitted, the grafting of a rank-growing apple on 

 a weakly or " paradise " stock will only tend to give more vigour to the roots ; 

 and the reverse will follow from grafting a tender kind upon a crab or hardy 

 stock. The same remark is applicable to pears, both on quince and wild-pear 



