BLIT THE BARK. 4:3 



earth finely-ground bones, super-phosphate and wood 

 ashes; a small quantity of each will answer the 

 purpose, provided the ground is of average quality, 

 that is, of sufficient strength to produce forty or fifty 

 bushels of shelled corn to the acre. Before putting 

 the tree into place, examine the roots carefully, and 

 if there are any broken or bruised remove them ; 

 using a sharp knife and cutting them from the under 

 side. 



All fruit growers are aware of the fact, that pear 

 trees in the nursery row throw out stronger branches 

 towards the next row than towards the next tree in 

 the same row. The future equilibrium of the trees 

 will therefore depend in part on the weaker portions 

 being preserved as above described. 



Dwarf pears should be placed in the soil, so that 

 at least four inches of the pear stalk will be covered ; 

 or in other words, the union between the pear and 

 the quince should be four inches below the surface. 

 This will insure the early bearing of pears worked 

 on quince, and the pear stalk will, in the course of a 

 few years, push forth roots changing the tree into a 

 standard. Some varieties do not readily root from 

 their own stock. In such cases I have removed the 

 earth from around the body, and with a sharp knife 

 slit the bark <.-pen lengthwise in three or four differ- 

 ent places, and then restored the earth. This 18 



