2508 



PEAR 



PEAR 



ble nourishment. The growth of the tree is of far greater 

 value than any farm crops which can be grown between 

 the trees. The soil should be thoroughly cultivated at 

 least every ten to fifteen days during the growing season 

 till about August 15 to September 1. It should cease 

 in time that the wood may fully ripen. Suitable culti- 

 vation can hardly be given with any crop on the ground, 

 except, possibly, when sufficient space is left without a 

 crop next to the trees. 



"The trees should be planted in rows 15 feet each way, 

 or in rows 20 feet apart each way, with one tree in the 

 center of each square. As the trees become older, the 

 entire ground should be given up to frequent culti- 

 vation; and under no conditions should a dwarf pear 

 orchard be seeded to grass, unless to clover for the 

 purpose of plowing it under for fertilization. 



"Dwarf pears require thorough annual pruning, which 

 may be done at any convenient time after the falling of 

 the foliage and before the buds become in the least 

 swollen in the spring; but, where the cold is severe, it is 

 better not to prune till about the first to middle of 

 March. This .pruning should begin with the first year, 

 and be continued annually during the life of the tree, 

 cutting back all of the growth to within four to eight 

 buds, and thinning out all surplus branches which will 

 not be wanted for limbs to the tree, so that at maturity 

 the tree shall be open-headed, with opportunity for 

 plenty of air and sunshine all through the tree, without 

 which superior quality of fruit cannot be grown. The 

 lower limbs should be within 20 to 24 inches of the 

 ground. Trees when twency to fifty years old should 

 not be more than 12 to 14 feet high, and the diameter of 

 the branches about 12 to 16 feet. [See Fig. 2821.] It 

 is a very erroneous impression that a dwarf pear orchard 

 under proper conditions is short-lived. There are in the 

 United States orchards in vigorous condition, and now 

 producing annual crops, that are from thirty to fifty 

 years old. 



"Some of the advantages of dwarf over standard pears 

 are: more trees can be planted to the acre, they com- 

 mence bearing much younger, the fruit is not so liable 

 to be blown off by early winds before maturity, it is 

 much more quickly and easily gathered than from high 



2809. LeContepear. (XM) 



trees, the fruit is larger and of better quality than that 

 on standards. All varieties do not succeed equally well 

 as dwarfs, because they do not all form an equally per- 

 fect union with the quince. Angouleme is the leading and 

 most profitable variety now grown as dwarf, although 

 many others succeed well." 



Pears in the prairie region. 



On the northern plains, the culture of pears follows 

 the general lines of pear-growing in the Atlantic states, 

 but there are some radical points of difference. Accord- 

 ing to C. L. Watrous, "The difficulties of pear-growing in 

 the upper Mississippi Valley are many and grievous. 

 Above the 40th parallel and west of the Great Lakes, 

 nearly all efforts have been failures. The best suc- 



cesses have been on high rather steep ridges and bluffs 

 near watercourses, with light-colored clay soils and 

 northerly exposures. Pear trees are not planted to the 

 bottom or to the top, but in belts midway around the 

 slopes. Plums may be used lower down and cherries 

 above. The ground should be already set in clover or 

 blue-grass. Small circles are spaded out for the trees. 

 These are cultivated with the hoe and widened with 

 the growth of the tree. Small trees branched very low 

 are best. The trees may be cut back the second year 

 to within a few inches of the ground. Only a very 

 moderate annual growth is desirable. Use no manure 

 until the tree has borne several crops of fruit, and then 

 only with extreme care. Rich black soils, plenty of 

 manure, and clean culture are deadly to pear trees in 

 this region. The critical period is that of the first fruit 

 crop. The deadly enemy is blight, which is sure to 

 appear then. The successful pear-grower must not 

 neglect his orchard a single day during the season of 

 blight, but watch for the enemy and cut out and burn 

 every blighted twig as soon as seen. Sultry damp 

 weather in June is most critical. Such varieties as 

 Warner, Longworth, Vermont (Beauty), Koonce, and 

 Kieffer are said to succeed farther north and resist 

 blight better than any others. Under slightly more 

 favorable conditions, Clairgeau, Howell, Seckel, Tyson, 

 Washington, and Flemish (Beauty) may be used. The 

 hardiest and blight-resistant varieties may be grown, 

 and when in bearing a branch or two grafted with a 

 more delicate sort with success." 



Insects and diseases. 



The insect enemies of the pear are numerous, but, 

 with two or three exceptions, are not very serious. The 

 tree is attacked by borers, although to a less extent than 

 peaches and apples. These are kept in check by digging 

 them out once or twice a year as on other fruit stocks. 

 The fruit is attacked to some extent by the codlin- 

 moth, but the arsenical sprays keep this insect in check. 

 Of late years the psylla, attacking the growing parts, 

 has been very damaging in parts of the East, although 

 it is irregular in its outbreaks. It can be controlled by 

 thorough work with a spray in winter and also when the 

 blossom-buds are expanding, at the former time by the 

 use of "Black Leaf 40" tobacco preparation or kerosene 

 emulsion and similar compounds, and at the latter 

 period by lime-sulfur. If the rough bark is removed in 

 winter and burned, very many of the pests will be 

 destroyed. In some parts of the East the fruit is 

 attacked by the pear midge, a minute fly whose mag- 

 gots work in the very young fruit. Thorough cultiva- 

 tion will check this serious pest, but its complete con- 

 trol often involves the destruction of all the young fruit 

 on the infested trees; the application of kainit to the 

 soil in the second half of June (1,000 to 2,000 pounds 

 to the acre on sandy soils in New Jersey) is said to kill 

 the insect after it leaves the fruit to undergo its trans- 

 formations. Repeated shallow tillage in early summer 

 is a good protection. 



The foliage and fruit of the pear are attacked by para- 

 sitic fungi, which cause the leaves to drop and the fruit 

 to become scabby. These diseases are readily held in 

 check by spraying with bordeaux mixture or lime-sul- 

 fur. Mor,e than fifty years ago the White Doyenne pear 

 was the most popular variety for growing on the quince 

 root, but because of the pear scab it passed away. It 

 was supposed that the disease was due to uncongenial 

 climate. Since the advent of the sprays, however, it has 

 been found that the White Doyenne can be grown as 

 well as ever. Flemish (Flemish Beauty) is also an 

 example in point. Years ago it was one of the most 

 popular standard varieties, but of late years it has been 

 little grown because of the cracking of the fruit. 



Pear-blight or fire-blight is the most serious disease 

 of pear trees. It is an American disease. It is caused 

 by a microbe which enters through the growing points 



