204 [ THE PEAR TREE 



formation of new roots may proceed rapidly. It is always 

 better to trench and manure all the land uniformly 

 to the same depth, than to trench and manure only 

 a circular trough around the tree. In any case the 

 larger roots should be spared, and due care should 

 be taken not to injure or bruise the first layer of main 

 roots which come out of stem close to the surface, 

 and the operation is best performed in autumn some 

 time after the first rains, but before the leaves are 

 shed. Surface dressings of manure may be given in 

 mid-winter in alternate years, or better every year, 

 at the time of the surface hoeing of mid-winter. Stable 

 manure or manure from the cow-shed, properly fermented, 

 is the best manure for the orchard, but loose soils will be 

 greatly benefited by a spring dressing of phosphatic 

 and potassic manures, given at the time of the spring 

 hoeing. ci;. j 



Surface tillage will be required in October or 

 November, and again in December or January, the object 

 being to keep down weeds and to aerate the soil and 

 favour the absorption of rain. In March or early in 

 April the soil is tilled a third time. The spring tillage 

 should be deeper, reaching a depth of about 15 c.m. The 

 soil is then properly levelled, the use of the garden rake 

 being sufficient to put down the weeds which may follow 

 after the showery weather of April. Green- manuring if 

 associated with phosphatic and potassic fertilizers, will 

 be a good substitute for a dressing of stable manure. It 

 is sufficient to sow broadcasts leguminose crop of vetches 

 just before the autumn hoeing, and to dig in the plants in 

 March when they are in bloom, the mid-winter hoeing 

 being in this case dispensed with. 



In deep soils with moist subsoils the pear tree will 

 do without irrigation, but even then the quality of the 

 fruit cannot campare with that obtained from irrigated 

 trees. Irrigation should commence in May or early in 

 June, so that the development of the fruit may not suffer 



