320 THE FEAR. 



PROPAGATION. The finer sorts of pears are continued or in- 

 creased, by grafting and budding, and the stocks, on which to 

 work, are either seedlings or suckers. Sucker stocks have usu- 

 ally such indifferent roots, they are so liable to produce suckers, 

 continually, themselves, and are so much less healthy than seed- 

 lings, that they are now seldom used by good cultivators ; 

 though, if quite young and thrifty, they will often make good 

 stocks. 



Seedlings, however, are, by far, the best stocks for the pear, 

 in all cases ; and seedlings from strong growing, healthy pears, 

 of common quality such as grow about most farmer's gardens, 

 are preferable, for stocks, to those raised from the best varie- 

 ties being more hardy and vigorous. 



As it is, usually, found more difficult to raise a good supply of 

 seedling pear stocks in this country, than of any other fruit tree, 

 we will here remark that, it is absolutely necessary, to ensure 

 success, that two points be observed. The first, is to clean and 

 sow the seed as soon as may be, after the fruit is well matured ; 

 the second, to sow it only in deep rich soil. It should be previ- 

 ously trenched if not naturally deep at least twenty inches or 

 two feet deep, and enriched with manure or compost mixed 

 with ashes. This will give an abundant supply of nutriment 

 to the young seedlings, the first year without which, they 

 become starved and parched, after a few inches growth, by our 

 hot and dry summer, when they frequently fall a prey to the 

 aphis and other insects at the root and top. A mellow, rich 

 soil, whose depth ensures a supply of moisture, will give strong 

 seedlings, which are always, at two years growth, fit to go into 

 the nursery rows for budding. While a dry, thin soil, will 

 seldom produce good stocks, even in half a dozen years. 



The seeds should be sown precisely like those of the apple, 

 in broad drills, and the treatment of the stocks, when planted in 

 the rows for budding, is quite similar. Budding is almost uni- 

 versally preferred by us, for propagating the pear, and this tree 

 takes so readily, that very few failures can happen to an expe- 

 rienced hand. About the first of August, in this latitude, is the 

 proper season for performing this operation. 



We may add here, that one year old pear seedlings, are often 

 winter-killed, when the autumn has not been such as to ripen 

 the wood thoroughly. A few branches of evergreens, or some 

 slight covering laid along the rows, will prevent this. Or, they 

 may be laid in by the heels, in a sheltered place. 



The thorn makes very good stocks for the pear, except, that 

 if grafted above ground, the tree is often apt to be broken off at 

 the point of union, by high winds. This is obviated by grafting 

 a little below the surface. Grafting on the thorn is a very use- 

 ful practice for strong clayey soils, as, on such stocks the pear 

 may be grown with success, when it would not otherwise thrive. 



