THE PEAR TREE ] 189 



situations which are too shaded, the growth is invariably 

 slow and weakly, the production is low, and the fruit is 

 generally gritty at the core even in the best varieties. 

 Shelter from high winds is essential to obtain a good 

 production, and as the blossoms of the pear are formed 

 in trusses, and ordinarily bloom at the same time, 

 prolonged wet weather during the flowering period is 

 followed by a poor production, the rain washing off the 

 pollen and preventing fertilization. However, in certain 

 varieties the flowers do not bloom together, the flowering 

 period being sometimes prolonged for more than a month 

 and these sorts are therefore not affected by bad weather 

 to the same extent as the others, although late blossoms 

 are frequently sterile or produce undersized fruit. 



The pear tree delights in a moderately moist soil, 

 indeed the tree requires the same attention as regards 

 irrigation as an orange tree, and perhaps more. 1 n fact 

 if about midsummer the interval between one irrigation 

 and another is unduly prolonged, the foliage soon turns 

 yellow and drops off, leaving the tree almost bare, so 

 that with the next watering or with the first rains of 

 autumn the flower buds already formed for next year 

 burst at once into bloom, and as a consequence next 

 year's crop is seriously compromised. The pear tree 

 has naturally a fairly long life, but it is so much 

 persecuted by the destructive wood-borers that it is 

 justly considered as very short-lived. It is owing chiefly to 

 these wood borers that the pear is not grown here more 

 extensively. Isolated specimens of the pear growing out 

 of reach of the borers grow to a great size and produce 

 enormous "crops year after year. 



PROPAGATION. New varieties are of course raised 

 from seed, and for this purpose the seed is best reserved 

 from fruits produced by specially fertilized or crossed 

 blossoms, or else from selected fruits of superior table 

 varieties. However, propagation by seed is only resorted 

 to for the purpose of raising wild or half wild stock for 



