472 JoJirnal oj Agriculture. [loAuG., 1908. 



scion as the quince does upon the pear and the "Paradise" upon the 

 apple. It is becF.use tiie scion overgrows the stock that the tree becomes so 

 fertile and its fruits so fine ; in fact, it is a dwarfing stock. This 

 stock, as far as my experience goes, is adapted for ever\- variety of 

 cherry. 



Pear. — As with the peach, so with the pear ; the stock most generally 

 adapted for the pear is the seedling pear stock, raised from the hardiest 

 known kinds, which, as a rule, seed very freely and produce good stocks. 

 A? is usually the case with most fruits, the finer kinds do not produce much 

 seed, and stocks raised from such are not generally robust. But where 

 one seed is saved from pears of delicate constitution, hundreds are saved 

 from hardy kinds, so that, generally speaking, hardy stocks are used. 



I would advise that pear suckers never be used ; if they are thev will 

 j>rove a great disappointment. In the early days, when seedlings were 

 scarce, resort was had to suckers, and, as a matter of course, it was only 

 from trees that suckered abundantly that any quantity was obtained. Trees 

 from these were planted out, and the results were disastrous. Not only 

 \\ere thousands of useless suckers thrown up, but the trees refused to bear, 

 though the same kinds on the seedling pear bore regularly and heavily. 

 The trees on suckers had to be rooted up as entirely worthless. As a rule, 

 and in most localities, the seedling pear stock is the most desirable for 

 pears. 



There is also a variety of quince, a kind of small '"' Angers," which is 

 used most successfully, and upon which some kinds do well, even when 

 worked directly upon it. As there are but very few kinds of pears that 

 do well when worked directly upon this quince, it is usually necessary 

 to double work on the stock. First of all, work such kinds as " Beurre 

 d'Amanalis," " Louise Bonne of Jersey," or " Beurre Diel," upon the 

 quince; allow them to make yearling shoots, and then work upon these the 

 desired sort, when perfect health and vigour will be attained. This mode 

 CI culture is most interesting and profitable, especially in the cooler dis- 

 tricts of the State, where the pear-on-the-pear takes so long to come into 

 l)earing. On this quince stock fertility is attained very quickly ; the trees 

 grow comparatively slow, but fine fruit and quick returns are the results. 

 This mode of cultoire wants to- be better known, when it will l>e largely 

 adopted in the climates referred to. 



There are other stocks used for pears, such as the " Hawthorn " and 

 "Mountain Ash," but these are not necessary or desirable where the proper 

 kind of quince is obtainaV>le. It has been aflfirmed that the pear-on-the- 

 quince is but short-lived; this is not the case. In France there are trees 

 of great age, where this system of culture is largely practised with most 

 satisfactory results ; likewise in various parts of Victoria, where they have 

 been planted for many years, they will be found bearing heavy crops of 

 good fruit each season. 



