210 FUNDAMENTALS OF AGRICULTURE. 



parts of the country, but in many places cannot be 

 grown with success on a commercial scale. In many 

 sections the trees are susceptible to fire blight, which 

 is mentioned under plant diseases. The pear thrives 

 best on a heavy strong clay, while on a sandy soil the 

 tree tends to be short lived. Like the apple the pear 

 also demands good care to produce the best crops. 

 The tree suffers more from neglect than the apple, and 

 the fruit needs to be picked before fully ripe, and 

 stored in a moderately cool dry place to ripen to obtain 

 its best flavor. 



Varieties. The Bartlett is the most popular stand- 

 ard variety, while the Anjou is one of the best for 

 quality. The Keiffer, because of its vigorousness, 

 hardiness and productiveness is an important commer- 

 cial variety. Although poor in quality, it is a profit- 

 able and desirable sort for canning. 



Quince. The quince is a slow-growing tree, seldom 

 exceeding fifteen feet in height. Being grown mostly 

 for jelly or preserves, the demand for this fruit is gen- 

 erally limited, hence it has increased very little in com- 

 mercial importance in this country. It requires a rich, 

 well-drained moist soil to produce the best crops. As 

 the tree is very shallow rooted, deep plowing should be 

 avoided. Thorough tillage should be given to the 

 trees. Cover crops are essential to protect the shal- 

 low roots of the trees from frost injury. The Orange, 

 Champion and Rheo are the leading standard varie- 

 ties. 



Stone Fruits. The peach, plum, cherry and apricot 

 are called stone fruits. 



The Peach. The cultivation of this fruit is gener- 

 ally attended with great risk. In the North the buds 

 are subject to freezing during the severe cold spells, 

 while in the South they are likely to be killed by sud- 

 den freezes following a prolonged warm spell. The 

 trees blossom early in the spring, and in many sections, 

 especially on low land, the blossoms are apt to be 

 killed by late frosts. Another danger which attends 



