272 Successful Pear Culture. 



up the slate-stone, which, being disintegrated by sun and frost, produces 

 a new supply of earth each year. 



If manure was plenty, he would apply it broadcast ; but not being 

 so, he gives an annual top-dressing, enough to produce a good, healthy, 

 but not rank growth. Barn-yard manure, street-scrapings, lime, and 

 wood ashes, are all used. For both wood ashes and lime he has a high 

 regard. He usually gives a dressing of two or three forkfuls of manure 

 at planting, and more during fruiting. 



The most careful and thorough cultivation is given from the day of 

 planting onward, a cultivator being run six or eight times each season 

 through the rows. He says he has yet to see fine fruit produced save 

 where the soil has been well cultivated. He grows potatoes between 

 the rows. He at the same time regards mulching under the tree to 

 protect the soil from light and heat as vastly beneficial. A moderate 

 spreading of some coarse material is better than a large amount of mat- 

 ter piled about the tree. 



SELECTLON OF TREES FROM THE NURSERY. 



The distinctive and notable feature in Mr. Martin's system of pear 

 culture is the training of his trees. On the proper ti^aining of the tree 

 he considers the whole question of failure or success is largely de- 

 pendent. He is radically and emphatically opposed to high-headed 

 trees and high-trained trees, and has no faith in any plan or system that 

 does not include low-trained trees as the distinctive feature. 



He says, " If I could find good two-year-old standard pears, headed 

 low, I should buy and plant them ; but this I have so far found it about 

 impossible to do, as nurserymen train trees high. Not being able to find 

 properly-grown two-year-old standard j^ears, I purchase the best year- 

 ling trees I can find. I think the best stock a nursery produces — and 

 good stock — cheaper at a high price than ti^ees of medium quality for 

 nothing. The superiority that trees show in the nursery exhibits itself 

 in even a more marked degree in the orchard. I would rather have a 

 stocky yearling two feet high than a slim one of four feet. One advan- 

 tage, besides low freight, in using yearling trees, is, that few are lost in 

 transplanting. Witli carefully-handled yearlings I make ninety-nine 



