10 April, li>19.J 



Pear (Innviiiij in Viciona. 



213 



for his orcliard as near as possible to a local market; if far removed 

 from tlie metropolis, it should be within reasonable distance of a direct 

 railway line to Melbourne or the capitals of the other States, thus 

 enabling the fruit intended for Melbourne market, Inter-State, or over- 

 seas trade, to be transported without any unnecessary difficulty. _ 



As a rule, the main orcharding districts of Victoria are so situated, 

 and, by choosing one of these for pear growing, the grower who is_ new 

 at the business will have the advantage of the experience of established 

 growers in many phases of the work. 



The addition also of a cool store adjacent or within a reasonable 

 distance of the orchard, is a great acquisition to any fruit-growing centre, 

 as it enables the grower to place his pears in the store in a fresh and 

 sound condition — an essential for the successful storage of fruit, particu- 

 larly pears. If the store be so remote from the orchard as to necessitate 

 transportation by rail, there is great risk of the pears being damaged 

 in transit, and be the cause of their failing to keep well after being 

 placed in the cool store. 



Plate No. 15. — Unloading Fruit at Cool Store. 



Preparation of Land for Planting. 



Clearing the Land. — Clearing the land of native timber is done by 

 ring-barking trees, allowing them to die, and then grubbing them root 

 and stump from the ground. Sometimes the timber is removed from 

 the land whilst in its green state, but as this method impoverishes the 

 soil, the former method should, where possible, be adopted. Whatever 

 way the clearing is done, great care needs to be exercised in the removal 

 of all native roots from soil, as these are the natural host of the root 

 fungus (Armillaria mellea) which, if not destroyed, quickly establishes 

 itself on young fruit trees to their immediate detriment and subsequent 

 death. 



Soil and Subsoil Preparation. — The surface soil may be rich in all 

 the essential food requirements for the welfare of the young pear trees, 

 and also may be in a perfect physical condition, but this is not sufficient 

 to insure success in profitable pear growing unless the subsoil be given 

 proper preliminary treatment. 



