*28 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



depth of stiffish loam, with sufficient small stones or rocky fragments to keep it open, 

 yet with enough loam to render it compact, over gravel, produces the best trees and 

 fruit. This points to the necessity of good fare and thorough drainage. 



Pears are apt to " crack " in loam over clay, but when the clay is of a shattery 

 texture, so as to let water percolate through it, the roots derive more essential food 

 (potash) from it than any other, and the manures applied give the most profitable 

 returns in heavy crops of clear-skinned, large, and luscious fruit. Moisture is all- 

 important, but equally so is thorough drainage. Mechanical texture a medium 

 neither too light nor too heavy renders all else practicable in pear culture. Where 

 the soil is loose, deep, and rich, the trees make gross wood that does not mature, and 

 their health and crops are unsatisfactory. Such soils are, however, exceptional, as are 

 those which require more than ordinary preparation draining, trenching, and amelio- 

 rating, to fit them for the growth of pears. Seldom is it necessary to make expensive 

 borders, the majority of soils being rich enough without any addition to sustain the 

 health and fruitfulness of the trees. Most pear trees are ruined by too little space for 

 the heads in proportion to the spread of the roots and the resources of the soil, as may 

 be seen in sterile trees against walls. Extension is the chief factor in promoting fruit- 

 fulness of pear trees on the pear stock. Many trees which were kept formal against 

 walls or house-ends, and barren all the while, bear heavily when allowed to extend 

 their growth, and thus restore the lost reciprocal action between the roots and branches 

 which is essential to profitable fruit production. This is mentioned so that those having 

 a wall with a south, east, or west aspect may not be discouraged on account of the soil 

 being apparently too poor for the sustaining of a pear tree or trees. All that is 

 necessary in most cases is to dig out a space a yard across and 2 feet deep, loosen 

 the bottom, and fill with good soil, breaking down the sides of the .excavation as the 

 work proceeds. This will give the tree a start, and when it gets a grip of the natural 

 soil it will usually find enough nourishment, even beneath a hard path or a paved 

 yard, to meet its requirements in growth and fruit production. The above remarks 

 apply to trees on the pear stock. 



Pear trees on the quince require a generous soil, and it is a mistake to conclude that 

 because the quince grows naturally in springy ground, or along the banks of streams, 

 that pears established will answer equally well on it in such positions. Climate exerts 

 great influence in the question of suitability or otherwise of trees to different soils. 

 We have not found pears on the quince to succeed in wet soils or in cold clays ; many 



