106 THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 



time to prune the pear is important. If the work is done too early in the 

 winter, injury may result to the tissues near the wound from cold or from 

 checking. If done late in the spring when sap is flowing, the wound becomes 

 wet and sticky and is a suitable place for the growth of fungi and the blight 

 bacterium. 



The pear is as easily grafted as any other pome, and the operation is 

 more certain and more often desirable than with any of the stone-fruits. 

 Almost any method of grafting used with orchard fruits is successful with 

 the pear. But the pear is not often grafted in this State after the tree has 

 been set in the orchard. The great objection is that the vigorous growth 

 made by grafts is nearly always nipped by blight. Possibly the lack of 

 affinity between different varieties is more pronounced than with other 

 pomes. The common European varieties cannot be inter-worked without 

 experimental knowledge of how one variety will grow on another, and it is 

 almost impossible to intergraft common varieties with the oriental hybrids. 

 The temptation is strong in this State to graft such sorts as Bartlett and 

 Seckel on Kieffer. This combination is seldom successful; nor, as a rule, 

 can other European pears be grafted on Kieffer, although some growers have 

 succeeded fairly well in growing Seckel on Kieffer. 



Thinning the fruit is not a common practice in pear-growing in this 

 State. There is no doubt but that much might be done to improve pears 

 in both size and quality by thinning, for be it remembered that large size 

 of fruit and high quality are usually correlated in pears. Thinning often 

 saves the vigor of the tree, and it is often good orchard management to 

 destroy insect- or disease-infected fruit by thinning. The objection is high 

 cost. Most growers, however, find that it pays to thin. Thinning is 

 usually done as soon as possible after the June drop. It is most difficult 

 to tell, when thinning, what will prove superfluity at harvest. A skilled 

 grower adjusts the size of the crop to the variety, the vigor of the tree, 

 fertility and moisture in the ground, the season, and insects and fungi. 

 Thinning should begin in the winter with the removal of what seem to 

 be superfluous branches, for even at this time fruit-prospects for the ensuing 

 season are fore-shadowed. 



HARVESTING AND MARKETING 



Fruit-growing is made up of several quite distinct phases of activity; 

 as, propagation, culture, pruning, pests, harvesting, and marketing. 

 Treated in detail, each of these several operations constitutes matters quite 



