1-76 PEARS. 



be a new variety, is but little affected by it of fifty 

 bearing trees of this' kind, of various ages, I have not 

 lost one entire tree from this cause this year, for the 

 first time, I have perceived the limbs of some of them 

 partially affected, and in some instances, several large 

 branches have been destroyed. From the great vigour 

 and rapidity of the vegetation in America, pear trees, 

 if much pruned, are apt to grow too fast : this appears 

 to render them more liable to the effect of the fire blight 

 than otherwise they would be I have therefore chan- 

 ged my mode of trimming them under this impression, 

 confining it very much to suckering, and merely for- 

 ming the tree our heat and dry ness, do not require 

 the growth to be so open as in Europe. 



The soil most favourable for pear trees, is clay, or 

 stiff loam they are, in many regions of our country, 

 hardier than the apple. In a journey, many years 

 since, through the New England States, I found the 

 common Hedge pear, from w r hich most exquisite per- 

 ry is made, flourishing where the apple would not 

 grow, on the sea coast, between Newbury Port and 

 Portsmouth : in Great Britain they are considered as 

 much better adapted than the apple to their climate; 

 perry, on an average, is a cheaper liquor than cider 

 in that country. An erroneous practice prevails too 

 much among our nursery men in America, of using 

 suckers from old trees for pear stocks ; trees produced 



