THE PEAR TREE ] 211 



The third group includes the table pears or dessert pears 

 (poires a couteati) . Trees of the first group are usually 

 grown as standards, and make noble avenues in F ranee 

 and Belgium. The other two groups are grown in 

 specialized orchards or as borders in vegetable gardens. 

 It is stated that there are nearly 3000 varieties of 

 pears under cultivation, many of which are either worth- 

 less or have been superseded by better sorts. However 

 the cultivator should not attempt to grow more than 

 six varieties, and three or four would be quite enough for 

 an orchard of limited extent. In this way a greater 

 uniformity of produce is secured which is an important 

 condition of success for market purposes. The selection 

 should be limited to those sorts which are found on 

 experience to thrive 1 best in that district ; but as the 

 pear like most fruit trees is liable to become sterile under 

 self-pollination, it is advisable to grow at least two 

 varieties and to plant them in alternate rows, so that a 

 regular production may be secured by cross pollination. 

 The amateur cultivator will require a more extensive 

 assortment of varieties to make sure of a continuous 

 supply of pears for his table throughout the year, but 

 even in his case a selection of 1 2 to 24 sorts will be quite 

 sufficient for the most fastidious taste. 



The following is a descriptive list of pears grown in 

 these Islands : 



EARLY SUMMER PEARS. 



The fruit attajns maturity in June or July, and is 

 allowed to ripen on the tre'e, being sent directly from the 

 orchard to the market. These pears on account of their 

 earliness are not liable to the attacks of the fruit fly, and 

 they also resist to the attacks of the tree borers better 

 than other varieties 



i. MALTA JUNE PEAR. (Ntmascarella ta Malta). 

 The tree is very vigorous with thick ashy-grey twigs, 

 and grows quickly to a large size. It is very productive, 



