PRUNING THE PEAR 259 



He also proposes top grafting the Bartlett upon Winter Nelis, Seckel, 

 Angouleme, Lawson and other partially immune varieties to increase 

 the chances of securing a somewhat resistant tree-body and sound roots. 

 Fortunately the pear is readily grafted-over by the common methods, 

 and some growers are planting Winter Nelis on Japanese roots, expect- 

 ing to top-graft them with Bartlett in the orchard. 



Distance in Planting. If the pears are to have the whole 

 ground, it is usual to plant from twenty to twenty-four feet apart on 

 the square. As the tree is slower to attain size and full bearing than the 

 stone fruits, and as it is a long-lived tree, the pears are sometimes set 

 twenty-four feet with plums in quincunx. Peaches and apricots are 

 ;ilso set between pears sometimes, when the soil chosen for pears suits 

 them also. 



PRUNING 



Usually the pear is grown in the vase form, as described in the 

 general chapter on pruning. With regular, upright growers, heading 

 low and cutting to outside buds results in a handsome, gently-spreading 

 top, and effectually curbs the disposition which some varieties, notably 

 the Bartlett, have to run straight up with main branches crowded to- 

 gether. 



The development of the vase-form with a few continuous leaders, in 

 a general way as prescribed for the peach in Chapter XX, is practicable. 

 Such leaders are to be covered with short, fruit-bearing laterals. Thin- 

 ning and shortening of laterals can be done by summer pruning. 



As with other fruit trees, the pear must be studied and pruning 

 must be done with an understanding of the habit of the variety under 

 treatment. Irregular and wayward growers, which, in windy places, 

 also have their rambling disposition promoted by prevailing winds, 

 often give the grower much perplexity. The general rules of cutting 

 to an outside bud to spread the tree, to an inside bud to raise and con- 

 centrate it, and to an outside bud one pear and an inside bud the next, 

 if a limb is desired to continue in a certain course, are all helpful to 

 the primer. But with some pears, of which the Winter Nelis is a con- 

 spicuous example, it is exceedingly hard to shape the tree by these 

 general rules, and some growers abandon all rules, merely shortening 

 in where too great extension is seen, or to facilitate cultivation, and 

 trust to shaping the tree when it shall have finished its rampant grow- 

 ing period. It will be interesting to cite a few methods of California 

 pear growers : 



"The Winter Nelis pear is an uncouth grower. Let the trees alone until they 

 have borne a good, heavy crop, and the limbs come down and spread out nicely ; 

 this will occur in five or six years after setting. This will give you an idea 

 what you want to do with the balance of the top that is not borne down with 

 the fruit. My plan is to cut straggling branches, thin out so that the branches 

 will not wind around each other, but don't cut the top, for you will find that the 

 more you cut the more wood you get, and after the tree comes into full bearing 

 is plenty of time to head back." A. CadweU, Pctaluma. 



"Our orchard in Napa county was not in a very windy place, but still windy 

 enough to throw our Nelis trees out of form. To get any regularity of shape, 

 we cut off every year all the shoots growing low down on the leeward side, 



