Pip Fruits: Apples 91 



When the fungus is present in small quantity, spraying with Bor- 

 deaux mixture, or with a solution of liver of sulphur, may arrest its 

 progress; but when present in its worst form the only certain means of 

 restoring the tree to health is to cut off and burn all the diseased rosettes 

 of leaves. During the following spring the pruned trees should be sprayed 

 with Bordeaux mixture. Trees thus treated throw out healthy shoots. 



As the winter fruit is rare, and not in sufficient quantity to account 

 for the enormous development of mildew each season ~ if is supposed 

 that the mycelium of the fungus persists over year in the tips of the 

 shoots. Hence the necessity for removing these. 



All suckers should be removed, as the mildew often commences on 

 them, and it is there where the scanty amount of winter fruit is mostly 

 produced. [G. M.] 



PEARS 

 i. GENERAL 



The garden Pear has originated from Pyrus communis, a native of 

 Britain and the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, and is therefore 

 a perfectly hardy fruit. Like its cousin, the Apple, it has undergone 

 marvellous transformations at the hands of the gardener, and its modern 

 varieties may be said to have reached almost the acme of deliciousness 

 so far as flavour is concerned. And yet with all its claims to popular 

 favour the Pear is not nearly so extensively cultivated as the Apple. 

 Indeed, judging from the Returns of the Board of Agriculture, there are 

 about 9830 ac. under Pears in Great Britain and Ireland, against 

 178,548 ac. under Apples. There are therefore about nineteen times 

 more apples than pears grown at present. England is the greatest, indeed 

 one might almost say the only Pear country, having 9163 ac., leaving 

 226 to Ireland, 186 to Scotland, and 69 to Wales. The Isle of Man is 

 credited with 1J ac., and Jersey so famous for its Pears has 37 ac. 

 devoted to their culture. The greatest Pear-growing county seems to be 

 Gloucester, with 2046 ac.; then Worcester, a good second, with 1591 ac. 

 Hereford is third with 1367 ac., and Kent is fourth on the list with 847 ac. 

 Little Middlesex is the fifth Pear county with 343 ac.; and Chester, Mon- 

 mouth, and Lancaster follow with 242, 203, and 236 ac. respectively. 

 There seems to be plenty of scope, therefore, for increasing the cultiva- 

 tion of Pears in the British Islands, especially in Ireland, which has a 

 climate of great possibilities. 



Large quantities of pears are imported into the United Kingdom every 

 year, a fact indicating the great demand for such a fine fruit. According 

 to the returns of the Board of Agriculture for 1911, 578,309 cwt. of "raw " 

 pears, valued at 536,982, were imported from the following countries: 

 France, 225,851 cwt.; Belgium 162,783 cwt.; United States, 132,946 cwt.; 

 Australia, 28,608 cwt.; Holland, 10,464 cwt.; Canada, 6,811 cwt.; Germany, 



