FARM.S. 101 



the quince stock is secured, and wlion it is furnished with fruit- 

 spurs retains them even after it has thrown out pear roots. 

 ?onie of the most flourishing dwarfs are from thirty to forty 

 years oUi. 



Tlic season of 18()2 was tlie most productive that has 

 occurred since tlic orchard was planted. Col. Wilder remarked, 

 on bringing to our view the loaded trees, that he had had fruits 

 in former years, but this year brought fruition. His crop of pears 

 of tliis year exceeded a thousand bushels, ripening from July 

 to March. The collection embraces more than eight hundred 

 kinds — the orchard above alluded to consisting principally of 

 the following: Bartlett, Louise bonne de Jersey, Urbaniste, 

 Beurre d'Anjou, Vicar of Winkfield, Buffuni, Doyenne Boussoc, 

 Lawrence, Merriam, and a few other sorts. The Beurre d'Anjou 

 has been for years a favorite with Col. Wilder, and we believe he 

 has stated that, if, after all his expenditures and exertions, he 

 liad only acquired this variety, he should feel that he had been 

 repaid, and had conferred a lasting benefit on the country by 

 its introduction. 



Colonel Wilder had eighty bushels of Beurre d'Anjou pears 

 this year, which brought three dollars per bushel. Li former 

 years they had brought much higher prices. Among the trees 

 which particularly attracted our attention were several large 

 Buffums, some of which, w^e learn, produced over four barrels 

 of fruit each. 



The committee visited Colonel Wilder's nurseries, and were 

 particularly pleased with the handsome and thrifty appearance of 

 the trees, both of the apple and pear. The neatness of culti- 

 vation noticed throughout his grounds was another very agree- 

 able feature, and, we doubt not, one highly important in regard 

 to profit. 



Some of the committee visited the pear orchard of Mr. 

 Edward Ives, a neighbor of Colonel Wilder. This consists of 

 two acres, the trees having been planted in April, 186 L A 

 portion of the ground was quite wet, and required draining, 

 which was done with tiles, at the depth of two feet, and dis- 

 tances of about two rods. The ground was trenched and 

 manured ; and notwithstanding the unfavorable predictions 

 which were made in regard to the success of pear trees in such 

 a locality, upwards of two hundred dollars worth of fruit was 



