1898.] ESSAYS. 57 



be maintained with a little in favor of the roots after it lias been 

 transplanted. 



Speaking of setting out a tree in January, eight years ago 

 last month at the south end of Main Street at the corner of 

 Beaver, they were excavating the cellar for what is now known 

 as. the Beaver Block. It was about the first week in January, 

 at least not later than the tenth, and was what you would call 

 an open winter. On the land stood a very thrifty pear tree 

 which was about ten or twelve feet high. It was a nice looking 

 tree ; and I said to the man who had charge of the excavation 

 that when he got to the tree I desired him to take it out with 

 what care he could, striking ofi' as little of the roots as possible, 

 and leave it at my place. He did so, and finding it there I 

 took care of it that night and the next morning proceeded to 

 prepare a place for it. I took off two-thirds of that tree and I 

 set it with considerable care, and after that I gave it a vigorous 

 pruning. I never saw a tree which was set out in the spring or 

 fall that did better than that tree set out in January, and the 

 tree was a Rostiezer. I believe that I have had the pleasure of 

 getting the first premium for the Rostiezer from a tree set out 

 in the month of January. I do not know whether this has been 

 accomplished very often or not, but I would not like to set out 

 a pear tree in January this year. 



One method of getting extra fine fruit I have found very 

 successful and that is what we call double-working a tree, so 

 much so that I have got where I do not care to raise pears in 

 any other way. I presume most of you understand what 

 double- working is, but there may be some here who do not 

 know what the term means, and for their benefit I will explain. 

 The singled-worked tree is where the standard stock is budded 

 and those are quite small, and when they get to be about seven, 

 eight, nine or ten years old, according to the variety, they get 

 into bearing condition. Now, to double-work a tree is to take 

 a tree when it has attained a size suflScient, and that is generally 

 the time when it will come into bearing, and cut oflf those limbs 

 and graft on the scions of the variety that is desired, and my 

 experience has been, both in the clay soil of my boyhood and 



