202 [ THE PEAR TREE 



interference and failure is more frequent than success. 

 In transplanting, the roots require to be handled with 

 care, and still more so if the tree is at all an old 

 one. As many rootlets as possible should be secured, 

 and those roots which have been much bruised should be 

 cut back to the healthy bark, slanting the cut so that 

 when the tree is replanted the surface of the wound 

 will be directed downwards. The pocket or hole should 

 be large enough to receive all the roots without 

 overcrowding, and these should be disposed in their 

 proper order and natural position. It is a safe precaution 

 to plant the tree a few centimetres deeper than its 

 position in its former place, but this precaution should 

 not be overdone, as too deep planting is commonly 

 associated with failure and unproductiveness. Some 

 well-rotted manure should be mixed sparingly with the 

 soil when filling up the hole or pit, and when the 

 roots are well covered with earth, a more liberal 

 top-dressing of manure may be given. 



It is advisable to prepare the hole some time 

 before planting, so that the sun and the air may act 

 upon the lower strata of the soil and improve their 

 condition, physically and chemically, and it is always 

 better to construct the holes larger than necessary, 

 to be afterwards filled up as required during planting. 

 It is preferable to transplant the pear in October or 

 early in November, so that the tree may have time 

 to form new roots and establish itself before winter, 

 and will not then require to be watered early in spring 

 before the normal watering is commenced. If the pear 

 tree is transplanted in winter when the roots are dormant 

 it will be necessary to water it early in spring at the 

 time when the buds are pushing, and as the tree 

 will be then establishing itself watering should be 

 continued at intervals of eight days to two weeks, if 

 the weather is dry. 



The size to which a pear tree grows varies a 



