VILLA GARDENING ■ 247 



CHAPTER IV 



The Pear. — Where the Apple thrives the Pear will generally 

 succeed, as the two are closely related, and are both native fruits 

 in their original forms. As regards the preparation of the site, 

 the needs of both are identical or nearly so ; and in warm, sheltered, 

 well -drained situations many of the better- class dessert Pears 

 might be tried as 



Standards. — Marie Louise, Williams's Bon Chrdtien, Louise 

 Bonne of Jersey, and others of equal hardiness, will succeed under 

 favourable circumstances in many places. The fruits from the 

 open exposed trees are often superior in flavour to the same 

 variety on a wall, except in the best aspects, though of course the 

 wall fruit will always be of larger size. Standard Pears may be 

 planted nearer to each other than Apples, as the branches grow 

 more erect and less spreading. Twenty feet will be ample space 

 between the trees, and with an undergrowth of bush fruits the 

 ground will be profitably occupied till the Pears come into bearing. 

 Lifting and replanting the Pear trees at the end of the fifth or 

 sixth year, and laying the roots out to within 9 inches or 10 inches 

 of the siu-face, will tend to hasten the period of permanent fruit- 

 fulness. Unless this is done on some soils, the roots of the trees 

 will run down, and years may elapse before a full crop of fruit is 

 gathered. As the seasons are now, the chief end and aim of the 

 fruit-grower should be to keep the roots of the trees near the 

 surface, and feed them by strewing rich mulchings over them, 

 never using the spade, though a steel fork may be employed to 

 lighten up and aerate the siu'face in the spring. 



Pyramids. — There are several varieties of this style of tree. 

 There is the open uupruued pyramid, either on the Pear stock or 

 on the Qiunce, and which is treated on the principle recommended 

 for standard trees in the orchard, i.e. to be pruned a little at first 

 to seciu-e form and balance, but afterwards to use the knife only 

 so far as is necessary to give the branches a free circulation of light 

 and air. Such trees must have i^lenty of space to develop into 

 a good size, and would make handsome background trees on 

 the lawn or the foreground of the shrubbery. As regards the 

 primed pyramids, whether they are on the Quince or the Pear, the 

 cultivator uuist make up his mind as to the course he intends to 

 pursue beforehand. As a nde, any system which is imperfectly 

 understood is very likely to be imperfectly carried out, and the end 

 will not be satisfactory. To build up a handsome pyramid tlie 



