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SPECIAL MANURE FOR PEAR TREES. 



SPECIAL MANURE FOR PEAR TREES. 



BY L. WYMAN, Jr., WEST CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



Dear Sir : — I have used and recommend- 

 ed the compost you speak of in the March 

 number of the Horticulturist, in your arti- 

 cle on " Special Manures for Fruit Trees," 

 as a manure for the pear tree in particular. 

 I have usually added to the compost, say in 

 measure, one peck of fine iron filings, or 

 one peck and a half of crude turnings of 

 iron, to each load of peat, or muck, and in 

 that proportion for a larger or smaller quan- 

 tity; and have always noticed the most fa- 

 vorable result. 



Two years since I applied this compost 

 to a large pear tree which stood in a damp 

 loamy soil, but which had not borne any 

 fruit of consequence, for six or seven years 

 in succession, although it grew rapidly in 

 size, and sent out a large number of fine 

 healthy shoots. The owner of the tree 

 proposed engrafting some other kind of 

 scions upon the stock, it being a fine va- 

 riety (the Andrews.) I recommended "one 

 year's patience." He then said — "What 

 would you do with it ? " I replied — " I 

 would attempt to remove it, or give it a 

 better soil, and one more adapted to its 

 wants." He remarked — " Very well, take 

 it under your charge ; I will spare it this 

 year." 



After examining the soil very carefully, 

 I found, as before remarked, a clayey loam, 

 quite damp, and the tree growing in a lone 

 situation. I caused nearly all the earth to 

 be removed from the roots of the tree, and 

 the turf taken ofT in a circle of seven feet 

 diameter, leaving the tree in the middle of 

 a pan, caused by the removal of the sod and 

 earth. I then applied a sufficient quantity 

 of compost to fill the hole full, the whole 

 new soil rising a little around the body of 



the tree. The quantity of muck used was 

 one quarter less, in this instance, as I be- 

 lieved the tree required not so large a 

 quantity of muck as one would growing in 

 a higher location, but rather more sand. I 

 used sand. My compost was formed as 

 follows : three parts of muck to one part of 

 sand, and a proportionate quantity of potash 

 water ;* and iron filings, one peck and one- 

 half to the load. The tall or leading shoots 

 of the tree were shortened, the tree well 

 scraped and trimmed, &c. The result of 

 this application was a full crop of pears, 

 and the tree making, the same year, a good 

 growth of wood, every way healthy; the 

 fruit, two barrels and one-half, grew fair 

 and ripened well; and the tree has ever 

 since borne a good crop, and continues to 

 grow vigorously. This is, to my own mind, 

 a sufficient test of the utility and value of 

 the compost you recommend in your widely 

 extended and truly valuable work. 



Two years ago I had occasion to remove 

 a Jargonelle Pear Tree which' had borne 

 fruit, and which was seven inches in di- 

 ameter. Having previously prepared a hole 

 for the same, of sufficient size and depth, I 

 lifted the pear tree from its original situa- 

 tion by digging a trench five feet from the 

 body of the tree, and of sufficient depth to 

 enable me to cut off very smoothly all the 

 roots of the same, leaving a large ball of 

 earth remaining attached to the tree. Then, 

 by means of levers, the tree was raised ea- 

 sily and carefully, and removed to its new 

 location and secured, and the hole filled up 

 with the composition recommended by you 

 in your article on " Special Manures for 



* See page 427. Ed. 



