4 22 



THE BEST SOIL FOR PEAR SEEDLINGS. 



continue to meet a demand, its future ex- 

 tension may be inferred. However, I prom- 

 ised to confine my remarks to its infantile 

 struggles into existence. My purpose in 

 this article is answered, in having shown 

 that every man may indeed set under his own 

 vine, (if not his fig tree,) in our highly fa- 



vored valley, and enjoy the luxury not only 

 of its shade, but the greater one of an abun- 

 dance of fine rich fruit, with none to molest 

 or make him afraid. 



Very respectfully, 



A. H. Ernst. 



Spring Garden, Cincinnati, Feb. 1, 1848. 



THE BEST SOIL FOR PEAR SEEDLINGS. 



BY H. P. BYRAM, LOUISVILLE, KY. 



Dear Sir : — I have read the communica- 

 tions in the December and January numbers 

 of the Horticulturist, " On raising Pear 

 Stocks," with much interest. The disease 

 described by Mr. James Wilson, of Albany, 

 appears to prevail in most parts of our coun- 

 try, and the cause seems to be as mysteri- 

 ous as that of the " Potatoe rot^ I observ- 

 ed it extensively in various parts of the Un- 

 ion, in the years of 1845 and 6. How long 

 it has prevailed I know not ; or whether the 

 same locations w\iQxe it once appears are ever 

 after entirely exempt, I am not informed. 



With the hope of throwing some light on 

 the subject, I will give you the result of my 

 observations for the last two years. 



In the spring of 1846, I planted several 

 quarts of pear seeds in my nursery, at Bran- 

 denburg, Ky., in a dry, loamy soil, of but 

 moderate fertility. The trees were well 

 cultivated until the 23d of June, (when I left 

 home for the season,) after which they re- 

 ceived but little attention. At this period 

 the plants were from 6 to 24 inches high. 

 At the end of the season they measured 

 from 1 to 6 feet high. 



Last spring I repeated the experiment in 

 the same nurserj", upon similar soil; but 

 owing to incessant rains, (the seeds having 

 vegetated in the sand,) I was compelled to 

 have them planted before the ground was 

 in a suitable conditition to work. Hence 



but a small portion of them came up. Th e 

 early part of the season was extremely dry, 

 the trees, however, proved equally healthy 

 with the former crop, though not receiving 

 as thorough cultivation, they are but about 

 half the size. At the same time I planted 

 several quarts of seed in our nursery near 

 this city, upon level land, naturally good, 

 though somewhat worn. Texture, deep 

 sandy loam. These, under my own obser- 

 vation, received extraordinary cultivation. 

 The season here being much more favora- 

 ble, as to showers, than at Brandenburg. 

 Notwithstanding, in August they were at- 

 tacked, in spots, by the blight, as described 

 by Mr. Wilson, and ultiit^ately, the entire 

 lot was wholly denuded of foliage. Our 

 pear grafts also suffered in like manner, 

 while those in Brandenburg, the first sea- 

 son, made a growth of from 3 to 7 feet high. 

 My apple grafts, in that location, also far 

 exceed in luxuriance, any that I have seen 

 in other soils, presenting a clean, smooth 

 stem, and healthy foliage, by which the va- 

 rieties, either in summer or winter, are more 

 distinctly marked than is common in other 

 grounds. 



Now, sir, premising that you have pointed 

 out the cause and remedy for the disease 

 alluded to in your article on " The Philoso- 

 phy of Manuring Orchards,''^ in your Jan. 

 no., where you say, " In this state of things, 



