FRUIT CULTURE. 429 



sufficient depth, that the air and heat may penetrate it, and the 

 rain pass througli it, and it should be made sufficiently ricli by 

 manure, if not already so, for a crop of corn. In planting, the 

 holes should be made larger in diameter than the extent of the 

 roots, and the tree should not be set too deep. It is an opera- 

 tion that with care, may be performed successfully in either 

 autumn or spring; the former, especially for large trees, seems 

 to me the preferable season, the ground being then usually in a 

 better condition, 



The pear tree seems to thrive best in a deep, rich, moderately 

 moist, not wet, clayey loam, though so far as the fruit only is 

 concej-ned, all varieties do not seem equally suited to the same 

 soil, some apparently arriving at greater perfection, in a stiff, 

 others in a light soil. For orchard or open culture, pears should 

 be grown on their own roots ; in gardens, they are frequently 

 cultivated on the quince ; for this, however, some varieties will 

 not answer, seeming never to thrive, or to become perfectly 

 united with the stock ; while there are others, that appear to 

 assimilate to, and become completely incorporated with, the 

 quince. There is evidently a great difference in the growth of 

 different varieties of pear trees, some being of strong, rapid, 

 vigorous growth, others, of weak, slow and feeble habit. In 

 grafting or budding the different varieties, attention should be 

 paid to these differences, so as not to work a strong growing 

 variety upon a feeble stock. 



The pear tree is impatient of the knife, and the removal of 

 large limbs, when rendered necessary, is not unfrequently at- 

 tended with injurious consequences — no other pruning is called 

 far, than that required for the removal of cross limbs, and the ' 

 proper shaping of the tree. 



The proper cultivation of the pear has been, perhaps, suffi- 

 ciently indicated, by what has already been said. The ground 

 round the trees, at least, should be kept loose, mellow and free 

 of weeds, and covered with a suitable mulching of litter, spent 

 tan, or like substance, and made sufficiently rich to sustain a 

 healthy, vigorous growth, for which purpose the application to 

 the soil of peat, or meadow muck mixed with wood ashes, and 

 an addition of ground bones, is considered suitable. Guano, 

 mixed with the bone black of the sugar refineries, in the pro- 



