STOCKS FOR PEARS 9 



care, either at the nursery or in the garden. Young 

 trees are often overworked. Some varieties will not 

 thrive on the quince stock, so that double-grafting has 

 been introduced. Thus the strong growing Beurre 

 d'Amanlis is grafted on the quince, then two years after 

 some other sort is grafted on it. It is said that in this 

 way Gansel's Bergamot is made " a marvel of fertility," l 

 but this is not my experience ! The disappointing 

 pear Marie Louise is usually double-grafted, so is that 

 excellent late pear Josephine de Malines for cordons, 

 bushes, or pyramids, and so are many others. Strong- 

 growing varieties like Vicar of Winkfield, Beurre 

 Hardy, Beurre Clairgeau, Marie Louise d'Uccle, and 

 others, are used as intermediate stocks. To check the 

 vigorous Pitmaston Duchess, the weakly Winter Nelis 

 is employed as an intermediary. Our chief nurserymen 

 are studying the habits of each pear which needs double 

 grafting, and failure is rare on their part. Fruits grown 

 on the Quince Stock are often more highly coloured, 

 and not so coarse as such as are on the Pear Stock. 

 Those who have a good pear soil then should plant no 

 tree on the Pear Stock, except in an orchard. 



The varieties usually employed are the Portugal, the 

 Angers, and the common Quince. The Angers being 

 compact, prolific, and easily increased, is said to be the 

 favourite. 2 



In some soils Pear Stocks must be used. The Quince 

 would not thrive ; it is not strong enough. The latter 

 is surface rooting, it emits more fibres, and does not 

 rejoice in the tap-root of the Pear Stock. But for light 

 and unfavourable soils, and also for large standards, the 

 Pear Stock alone will suffice. This is often called the 

 Free Stock, as compared with the dwarfing Quince. 



1 Rivers. 



2 See an excellent article on Pears in new edition of Thompson's 

 " Gardeners' Assistant," by R. L. C. 



