90 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ture to which the tree is here subject, another difficulty with which it has 

 to contend, arises from the seasons of great and long-continued drought, as 

 well as of excessive rain, that occasionally occur. 



What is the moral to be drawn from these conclusions, assuming them 

 to be correct ? That we must abandon the cultivation of the pear ? By no 

 means. On the contrary let every man that owns a plat of ground suited 

 to the purpose plant pear trees, according to his ability, to such an extent 

 as to secure, as far as he can, an abundant supply for his family and less 

 fortunately-situated friends — and let the owners of more extensive grounds 

 appropriate a portion of the same, if by soil and exposure adapted to the 

 purpose, to the raising of pears for the market, but let them in each case 

 remember, that, to obtain success, something more is necessary than merely 

 to plant the tree, and then abandon it to nature, subject, unaided, to all the 

 influences of the seasons, but that this calls for the exercise of skill, unre- 

 mitting attention, and the employment of every possible means to counter- 

 act and guard against the evil influences, growing out of the rigor and 

 vicissitudes of our climate. 



But, after all, the question in relation to this subject, of the most in- 

 terest to cultivators, is, does, and if it does not, can the cultivation of pears 

 be made to pay ? For, although with amateurs, or those who pursue it for 

 a recreation, or as an object of interest, the matter of profit or loss is a con- 

 cern of no great moment, yet, with most Avho devote themselves to it, it is 

 of great consequence, and no species of cultivation can or should "be ex- 

 tensively, or for a long time pursued, that does not afford a fair remuner- 

 ation. 



In the Report of the Committee of the last year, this question was some- 

 what considered, and an opinion, guarded, to be sure, and somewhat quali- 

 fied, was expressed, that thus far, if some few cultivators had, under pe- 

 culiarly favorable circumstances, been successful, that, taken in the aggre- 

 gate, the growing of pears had, in this vicinity, been attended with positive 

 loss — but that, under proper and essential conditions, particularly with a 

 suitable regard to varieties, it might be made moderately remunerative. 

 Nothing has since occurred to induce a change of this opinion, but, on the 

 contrary, it has the rather become strengthened and confirmed, though no 

 more positive proof of its correctness can be adduced than was then oflTered. 



In the absence of all reliable statistics, or accurate data, from which it 

 would be an induction — opinions, let them be as they may, on a subject 

 like this, naturally represent, or at least take their hue and coloring, from 

 the personal experience of the individual, or are the result of information 

 derived from, or of the experience of those with whom a familiar inter- 

 course exists, never, perhaps, in any case, entirely reliable data upon which 

 to found it. 



The same rules and principles that require to be attended to in other 

 species of culture are applicable to that of the pear, as the selection of a 

 suitable exposure, the proper soil, the rendering it sufficiently fertile, to- 

 gether with the necessary amount of manipulation, and, especially if the 

 view here presented of the character of the tree of modern varieties is cor- 



