176 FEARS. 



tion, is supposed to be no less remarkable than in the 

 apple. The propagation of particular species is ef- 

 fected by grafting or budding, and by this method any 

 desired variety may be obtained and perpetuated. 

 Considerable attention is necessary in the choice of 

 stocks for grafting. Suckers from other trees should 

 never be employed, as they will have a constant ten- 

 dency to generate suckers, to the injury of the tree. 

 It should be observed, to graft or bud summer pears 

 upon summer pear stocks ; autumn pears upon stocks 

 of the same kind ; but never graft a winter pear upon 

 a summer pear stock, for the sap of the summer pear 

 will decline or diminish, before the winter fruit has 

 sufficient time to mature and ripen. Every planter 

 should keep a nursery of free stocks, by planting the 

 seeds of the different varieties, and these should be 

 taken from fair and choice fruit, and in their ripe state. 

 The season for grafting or budding, and the manner 

 of performing the operation, are the same as already 

 described for the apple. The pear tree will succeed 

 very well, when grafted on a quince ; in which case, 

 it is preferable to graft under ground in the root, as 

 the tree will be more strong and vigorous ; whereas, 

 if grafted above the surface, the produce will be a 

 dwarf tree. "The stock should be from what is call- 

 ed the Portugal quince, which grows as fast as the nat- 

 ural or free stock ; and tfye pears put on them should 

 always be of the soft flesh or butter kind ; the break- 

 ing pears do not answer so well on this, as on the free 

 stock. In France, all their finest pears of the buttery 

 kind are raised on the Portugal quince stocks." In 

 transplanting pear trees, we are advised, when the 

 land is dry and sandy, to perform the business in au- 

 tumn, and they will gain root fibres enough to sup- 

 port them, before winter, and will shoot in the spring 

 better than those which are planted in April. But in 

 moist places, it is best to dig the holes in autumn, and 



