CHAPTEE XXI 



PEARS; 



WHEN fruit becomes more universally appreciated as 

 food and drink, good dessert pears will undoubtedly take 

 the foremost place amongst our hardy fruits. Already 

 it is found that no produce pays better than such prolific 

 bearers as Pitmaston Duchess, Louis Bonne of Jersey, 

 or Beurre Bosc, three of our best late autumn kinds, 

 which sell freely at 12s. to 16s. per bushel. Some of 

 the larger sorts, like Pitmaston Duchess, Glou Morceau, 

 Alex N. Lucas, Princess, Duchesse, Beurre Six, aod 

 Emile Heyst, will fetch considerably more when well 

 grown. These very large pears are especially adapted 

 for cultivation on the cordon or espalier system, by 

 which they are protected from the effects of the wind 

 and stormy weather. On the quince " stock," also, 

 such trained tiees are much more dependable than the 

 old orchard standard for their general fruitfulness. This 

 is the method of culture generally pursued abroad, and 

 pears are the only hardy fruits in which British growers 

 are beaten. 



At present, pears are by no means a generally popular 

 fruit with our growers for market. Unless the varieties 

 are very carefully selected, there are too many drawbacks 



