THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 103 



stop tillage depends on the soil, the climate, and the season. The fruit 

 should be nearly full sized when tillage is stopped and the cover-crop sown. 



The cover-crop seed is covered the last time the cultivator goes over 

 the orchard. Clover, vetch, cow-horn turnip, rape, oats, rye, and buckwheat 

 are all used as cover-crops in this State. Combination crops are not popular 

 because of too great cost of seed. The quantity of seed sown is the same 

 as when the crops are grown as farm crops. The crops must be changed 

 from time to time in whatever rotation seems most suitable for the soil. 

 The weather-map must be watched at sowing time to make sure of a moist 

 seed-bed. Whatever the crop, it should be plowed under in the fall or 

 early spring, and under no circumstances should it stand late in the spring 

 to rob the trees of food and moisture. In moist, hot seasons, the cover-crop 

 should be sown earlier than in seasons of slow growth, when, possibly, it 

 acts as a deterrent to blight, and certainly makes more certain thorough 

 ripening of the new wood. 



The double nature of pruning must be kept in mind whenever a pruning 

 tool is taken in the pear-orchard. Fruit-trees are pruned to increase the 

 quantity and quality of the crop — this is pruning proper; and to give the 

 trees such form that they are easily managed in the orchard — this is 

 training. Pruning tools are used first when the trees are set, and they 

 should be used every year thereafter as long as the tree lives. The pruning 

 at setting time is particularly important with the pear, since newly set 

 pears are slow and uncertain in starting, and linger in growth for a year 

 or two after going into the orchard. The pruning is much the same as 

 with other trees, but must be done with a little greater care. 



The top of the young plant must be pruned to enable the injured root- 

 system to supply the remaining branches with water. The less the roots 

 are injured, the less the top need be cut. Some cut back all of the branches ; 

 some remove whole branches and do not head back those that remain. 

 The latter is the better plan for this reason : The top buds on branches are 

 largest and develop first, and the newly set tree will grow best if it develops 

 a large leaf-surface before hot dry weather sets in. Young trees usually 

 have surplus branches; remove those not needed, leaving three, four, or 

 rarely five to form the framework of the tree. A pear so pruned will start 

 growth and acquire vigor more quickly than if all branches are cut back. 



A choice must be made when planting as to whether the tree is to be 

 low- or high-headed. The habit of growth of varieties differs so greatly 

 that there can be no rule to determine how high the head of a tree should 



