1898. J ESSAYS. 55 



vegetables that are grown on a sandy loam is vastly superior to 

 that which is grown on clay soil. And I think this early ex- 

 perience about which I speak was on a black clay soil, which 

 was capable of raising two tons of hay to the acre, and the pear 

 trees grew very thrifty, but the flavor of the fruit was not such 

 as we get on a sandy soil. Therefore, I would suggest, as one 

 point in my opinion in pear culture, that to develop and bring 

 out the finest quality and flavor of the fruit a warm sandy loam, 

 well fertilized, is the proper soil to have. Those who already 

 possess that soil need not be discouraged, but may feel that they 

 have about the right thing. I do not know but that it would be 

 evidence in that regard, that from that soil during the year of 

 1897, I succeeded in this hall in getting the first premium on 

 the Bartlett and the Bosc, and on the Anjou and the Seckel the 

 second premium, which shows at least that the soil is not to 

 blame if we do not succeed. 



Having selected your soil, the next thing to do is to prepare 

 it by thorough and deep cultivation, with plenty of fertilizers. 

 After you have put in what seems to you a great plenty of 

 fertilizer, put in just as much more, for the pear tree is very 

 hearty and a gross feeder. I do not know of anything that will 

 stand as much and as rank fertilizer as the pear tree. I never 

 saw a soil yet that was too rich for the pear tree, if it was 

 properly drained and kept in cultivation. 



Having selected and prepared your soil, you want to make 

 up you mind what varieties to set out. Downing, our authority, 

 the official authority of the Society, names nearly three thou- 

 sand varieties, I think, in his last edition, which was in the 

 latter part of the eighties. There are a great many more varie- 

 ties which Downing has not mentioned. We may say that out 

 of something over three thousand varieties of Belgian, French, 

 American, English and Russian, there are, roughly speaking, 

 about twenty varieties which are fit to grow, so our President 

 and I think, and we care to grow only ten. It would be well 

 for the novice in pear culture to ascertain what the standard and 

 selected varieties are, because our tree agents who travel around 

 are generally blest with more ability to sell than they are to tell 



