AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



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to the United States, grows here to the great- 

 est perfection, both as regards quality and 

 quantity. The leading horticulturists of the 

 country having made a speciality of its cul- 

 tivation, aided by congenial soil and climate, 

 their efforts for the production of perfect fruit 

 have been happily rewarded. The Seckel, the 

 recognized standard of perfection wherever 

 the Pear is grown, is of American origin, hav- 

 ing originated on the farm of Mr. Seckel, 

 about four miles from Philadelphia. The fol- 

 lowing extract from Downing's " Fruits and 

 Fruit Trees of America" may prove interesting 

 to many: "The precise origin of the Seckel 

 Pear is unknown. The first pomologists of Eu- 

 rope have pronounced thatitisentirely distinct 

 from any European variety, and its affinitj- to 

 the Rousseiet, a well-known German Pear, 

 leads to the supposition that the seeds of the 

 latter Pear, having been brought here by some 

 of the Germans settling near Philadelphia, 

 by chance produced this superior seedling. 

 However this may be, the following viorceait 

 of its history maybe relied upon as authentic, 

 it having been related by the late venerable 

 Bishop White, whose tenacity of memory is 

 well-known. About eighty years ago, when 

 the Bishop was a lad, there was a well-known 

 sportsman and cattle-dealer in Philadelphia, 

 who was familiarly known as " Dutch Jacob." 

 Even.- season, early in the autumn, on return- 

 ing from his shooting excursions, Dutch Jacob 

 regaled his neighbors with Pears of an un- 

 usually delicious flavor, the secret of whose 

 place of growth however, he would never 

 satisfy their curiosity by divulging. At length 

 the Holland Land Company, owning a consid- 

 erable tract south of the city, disposed of it in 

 parcels, and Dutch Jacob then secured the 

 ground on which his favorite pear tree stood, 

 a fine strip of land near the Delaware. Not 

 long afterwards it became the farm of Mr. 

 Seckel, who introduced this remarkable fruit 

 to public notice and it received his name. 

 * * * The original tree still exists (or did a 

 few \-ears ago), vigorous and fruitful. Speci- 

 mens of its pears were quite lately exhibited 

 at the annual shows of the Pennsylvania Hor- 

 ticultural Society." 



The Pear is a peculiar fruit in one respect, 

 which should alwa.vs be kept in mind, 

 viz. : that most varieties are much finer 

 in flavor if picked from the ti-ee and ripened 

 in the house, than if allowed to become fully 

 matured on the tree. There are a few excep- 

 tions to this rule, but they are veiy few ; and 

 on the other hand we know a great many varie- 

 ties that are only second or third rate when 

 ripened on the tree, but possess the highest 

 and richest flavor if gathered at the proper 

 time and allowed to mature in the house. 

 This proper season is easilj' known, first, by 

 the ripening of a few full grown, but worm- 

 eaten specimens, which fall soonest from the 

 tree ; and secondly, by the change of color 

 and the readiness of the stalk to part from its 

 branch on gently raising the fruit. Pears 

 are grown as dwarfs and standards ; the 

 former being planted from eight to ten feet 

 apart, the latter from ten to fifteen feet. The 

 dwarfs, budded on the quince stock, are 

 mostly used for garden culture, as, from their 

 habit, they are more suitable, besides having 

 the invaluable quality of coming quicker into 

 bearing. Time was when the adage went. 



PEA 



" He that plants Pears, plants for his heirs ; " 

 but this is now no more applicable to the Pear 

 than to the Peach ; for we can have fine crops 

 of Pears budded on the Quince in three to 

 five years from the time of planting. The 

 following varieties are recommended for cul- 

 tivation on the Quince. All are hardy, vigor- 

 ous and handsome growers, and bear well. 

 (For descriptions, see nursery catalogues.) 

 Bartlett, Brandywine, Margaret, Duchess 

 d'Angouleme, Belle Lucrative, Doyenne Bous- 

 sock, Beurre Hardy, Howell, Louise Bonne of 

 Jersey, Beurre Superfin, Beurre d'Anjou, 

 Easter Beurre, and Lawrence. In addition to 

 the above the following well-known sorts will 

 be found to succeed admirably, grown as 

 standards. Clapp"s Favorite, bouvenir du 

 Congres, Tyson, Beurre Bosc, Flemish Beauty, 

 Hoosic, Seckel, Urbaniste, Beurre Clairgeau, 

 Dana's Hovey, Winter Nelis, Josephine of 

 Malines, etc. 



Pear, Avocado or Alligator. Persea gratis- 

 sima. 



Pear. Prickly. See Opuntia. 



Pear. Strawberry. Cereiis triangularis. 



Pearl Bush. The popular name of Exochorda 

 gramUflora. 



Pearl Millet. Pencillaria spicata. This fodder 

 plant has been largely grown during the past 

 few years, and promises to be most valuable 

 for that purpose, particularly in the Southern 

 States. It is a tender plant ; that is, being of 

 tropical origin it will not grow until the soil 

 and atmosphere are in the condition to grow 

 Corn, Tomatoes, Melons, or such plants as 

 require a high temperature for growth. Like 

 all plants grown for fodder, the richer the soil 

 the greater the product. We quote from our 

 published article on the subject in the "Ameri- 

 can Agriculturist," November, 1878, the local- 

 ity of the expei'iment being on our grounds in 

 Jersey City, N. J. : " Pearl Millet has been cul- 

 tivated for some years as a forage plant in 

 some of the Southern States, as ' African 

 Cane,' 'Egyptian Millet,' 'Japan Millet.' and 

 in some places as ' Horse Millet,' and ' Cat-tail 

 Millet.' But little was known of it at the 

 North before last year, and then only in such 

 small quantities as to hardly allow of a fair 

 trial. From what we saw of it in 1877, we 

 determined to give it a thorough trial this 

 season. A piece of good, strong, loamy ground 

 was prepared as if for a Beet or Turnip crop, 

 by manuring with stable manure at the rate 

 of ten tons to the acre, plowing ten inches 

 deep, and thoroughly harrowing. The Millet 

 was then sown in drills eighteen inches apart, 

 at the rate of eight quarts to the acre. We 

 sowed on the 15th of Ma3% about the date we 

 sow corn, and in twelve days the plants were 

 up so that a cultivator could be run between 

 the rows, after which no further culture was 

 necessarj-, for the growth became so rapid 

 and luxuriant as to crowd down every weed 

 that attempted to get a foothold. The first 

 cutting was made July 1st, forty-five days 

 after sowing. It was then seven feet high, 

 covering the whole ground, and the crop, cut 

 three inches above the ground, weighed, green, 

 at the rate of thirty tons per acre; this, when 

 dried, gave six and a half tons per acre, 

 as hay. After cutting, a second growth 

 started, and was cut August loth, forty-five 

 days from the time of the first cutting. 



