THE PEAR TREE ] 207 



In a large plantation it is not always convenient to 

 bend down many branches for the purpose above 

 mentioned, and a very good substitute will be found in 

 the following simple operation. The branches which 

 refuse to form flower buds are taken between the fingers 

 of the hand, placing the thumb and fourth finger on one 

 side of the branch, and the index and middle finger on 

 the other, and a gentle pressure is exercized just enough 

 to bend the branch and break a part of its wood tissues 

 without injuring the bark ; a slight noise is made by 

 this partial breaking of the wood fibres, but the bark 

 will not show any trace of what had occurred. This 

 simple operation is best done in May or June, when the 

 sap is still in active movement. The circulation of the 

 sap is thereby momentarily but seriously interfered with, 

 the growth is stopped, and the branch soon after resumes 

 its vigour, but instead of starting fresh growth, develops 

 flower buds. The branches upon which to operate 

 should not be more than 2 c.m. in thickness, and those 

 only i c.m. in thickness give better results. Occasionally 

 a branch snaps between the fingers, particularly if the 

 operation is done when the tree is leafless, and of 

 course will have to be shortened to the next good bud, 

 but the injury thus caused is quite negligible, and with 

 a little practice may be avoided almost entirely. 



The operation of ringing is another means to bring 

 a branch to fruit. For this purpose small pincers with 

 double bla*des are used, which by one fourth of a turn 

 of the hand remove a narrow strip of bark, i to 2 m.m. 

 wide, around the branch, and as a result of the disturbed 

 flow of the sap, flower buds are produced that same year. 



HARVESTING THE FRUIT. Those varieties of the 

 pear which mature before August may be allowed to 

 ripen on the tree, but it is important to pick them as 

 soon as they are well coloured, otherwise they may 

 become overripe, and rot away at the core (dletissure). If 

 picked two or three days before the full development of 



