PEARS. 1 79 



tired and forty pears, while another tree, not headed 

 down, growing by its side, being twenty years old, 

 bore five hundred pears, which was a good crop for 

 its size : so that there were on the old tree, which 

 had been headed down not quite four years, two thou- 

 sand three hundred and forty more than on the tree 

 of twenty years growth." 



The following is Mr. F'orsyth's method of training 

 the trees, that are cut near the place where they 

 were grafted. Every year, in the month of March, 

 (April or May for our climate,) he shortens the lead- 

 ing shoot to a foot or eighteen inches, according to its 

 strength. This shoot will, if the tree be strong, grow 

 from five to seven feet long in one season ; and, if left 

 to nature, would run up without throwing out side 

 shoots. The reason for thus shortening the leading 

 shoot is, to make it throw out side shoots ; and if it 

 be done close to a bud, it will frequently cover the 

 cut in one season. When the shoots are strong, he cuts 

 the leading shoot twice in one season : by this meth- 

 od he gets two sets of side shoots in one year, which 

 enables him the sooner to fill the tree. The first cut- 

 ting is performed any lime during the spring, and the 

 second about the middle of June. When you prune 

 the trees, and cut the fore-right shoots in April, al- 

 ways cut close to an eye or bud, observing where you 

 see the greatest number of leaves at the lower bud. 

 and cut at them ; for, at the foot-stalk of every one ot 

 these, will be produced a flower bud. You will have 

 in some sorts of pears, in a favourable season, from 

 five to nine pears in a cluster. This cutting should 

 not be later than April, on account of the leading 

 shoot beginning to grow ; the next topping, when the 

 leading shoot grows quick enough to admit of it, should 

 be about the latter end of June ; and the length of the 

 shoots should be according to their strength, having 

 from three eyes or buds to six on a side. Mr. For- 



