242 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



yellow russet color and unusual size. The trees exhibit all the 

 Seckel characteristics, except perhaps in their productiveness, the 

 branches being loaded with clusters of fruit. I should have stated 

 that these pears were all of them the product of dwarf trees. I 

 have other dwarfs in another part of my orchard one year older 

 than these, and also standards, both of which produced very fine 

 fruit, but of the Seckel color and not so large. Possibly a few 

 hints, founded on my experience, may be useful and acceptable. 

 I cultivate as early in the spring as the weather and the condition 

 of the ground will allow — and let weeds and wild grass grow after 

 about middle of July, using the scythe, if necessary, to prevent 

 the wild growth from interfering with the lower branches. 



My reasons for this are, first — to check late growth, that there 

 may be no unripe wood at the close of the season. Second. It 

 shades the bodies of the trees from the direct rays of the sun. 

 The importance of this will be manifest on examination of the 

 southwest side of the trees in almost any orchard in this part of 

 the country. Third. It serves as a mulching over the entire sur- 

 face of the ground, protecting the quince roots which were shal- 

 low in winter, and keeping back spring growth, and thus to some 

 extent guarding against the danger from late frost — for the 

 orchard ground is yet hard frozen, when the fields around are 

 entirely free from frost and ice. The direction to cultivate thor- 

 oughly and succeed highly (as per cooks), will not do here, how- 

 ever proper it may be elsewhere. Too rank growth and unripe 

 wood in the fall would be the result. The treatment is varied 

 somewhat in different parts of my orchard, according to the rich- 

 ness of the soil. The point is to have a healthy growth, and not 

 too rank, of ripe weed. Apply manure only where it is needed 

 upon poor spots. Protection from north-west winds is highly impor- 

 tant. I have lost more trees and fruit from the withering winds 

 in April and May than I have from frost. After such winds, the 

 blossoms wilt, fruit stems dry up and lose capacity to transmit 

 nutriment. The orchard at this time looks like a meadow of dry 

 timothy grass, and this appears to be the best condition to place 

 it in for winter in this region. In case of blight, apply the knife 

 behind the injured part. Let this work be thorough — aye, ' rad- 

 ical.' ' Conservative ' treatment, however well and tenderly 

 meant, will only prove delusive, and result in more general dif- 

 fusion of disease throughout the body and branches. These hints 

 are the leading points of ' my policy.' They would have been 



