50 FRUIT BOOK. 



though longer in coming into a fruit-bearing state, 

 will exist for centuries, in health and vigor. The 

 pear is propagated by seeds, with a view to ob- 

 tain new varieties, or for the purpose of stocks on 

 which to graft or bud known or approved kinds. 

 Doctor Van Mons, and M. Duquesne, possess 

 eight hundred approved sorts, which they obtain- 

 ed from seeds, within sixteen years. Pears, how- 

 ever, are more uncertain from seed, than apples ; 

 for by far the greater number thus raised are 

 unfit for any other use than to be budded with 

 known sorts. New varieties, says Van Mons, are 

 more likely to be obtained from the seeds of new, 

 than of old cultivated sorts. Among the extend- 

 ed varieties of this fruit, it is rather difficult (un- 

 der all circumstances) to select those which are 

 the best for cultivation. We have, however, ven- 

 tured to admit into our list of outlines, those 

 which, from observation and the opinion of friends, 

 as well as our own limited experience, we could 

 safely recommend as among the best. In raising 

 seedling pears, the ground should be enriched 

 with well-rotted manure (vegetable decomposi- 

 tion, such as rotten leaves, bark, &c., we think the 

 best, mixed with a portion of air-slacked lime) ; 

 the earth should be occasionally stirred between 

 the rows, and all weeds eradicated. (Seethe ar- 

 ticle on raising trees from seed.) 



Small stocks, measuring from a half to an inch 

 through at the but, should be budded, rather than 

 grafted. The best and most durable stock for 

 standards is the wilding ; the quince and white 

 thorn, for dwarfs. There are some pears which 

 do not thrive well upon the quince, directly. Our 

 method with such has been to graft those sorts 



