1898.] ESSAYS. 59 



in deciding in favor of tlie Bartlett that was grafted on to the 

 Flemish Beauty. I have grafted the Bartlett over and am try- 

 ing to make a Cornice of it, and I never saw any Cornice that 

 was single-worked or budded that compared with the growth of 

 the Cornice which I am getting on this Bartlett tree. Perhaps 

 I am very near solving the question of how to raise good Comice. 

 I think it is a matter of considerable interest, for the Comice is 

 one of the finest pears that we have, and if we can only get them 

 by double-working them on the Bartlett, it is going to be a thing 

 of great value. It is denied by many that the stock into which 

 the graft, the scion, is set, has an intluence on the graft and on 

 the fruit we get from the scion. It may be that those who take 

 this position are right. But this is my experience. About four 

 rods apart in one direction, and two rods in another direction, 

 I have three trees, and all three are grafted with the Bosc. Two 

 of these trees are the Flemish Beauty and the third one is a 

 Bousock. On the Flemish Beauty trees the russet of the Bosc 

 gives the pear a golden and pink tinge, and in some cases it is 

 almost as pink as the pink of the Flemish Beauty ; while the 

 Bosc on the Bousock is green, a very dark green, and does not 

 average as large as those on the Beauty. It is a little singular 

 that we should have such a coincidence. I would say that other- 

 wise the trees have stood a fair showing. They were vigorous 

 and thrifty and had the same care and cultivation, and all stood 

 in a sunny situation. Of course, if one of those trees had been 

 on the north side of the barn, in the shade, that might explain 

 the light and dark color, but the conditions were equal except 

 the difference in the stock. 



In pear culture, I believe that we ought to look for quality 

 rather than quantity. Now, I have plenty of neighbors who go 

 out and put up all kinds of poles, sticks, ropes, and chains, to 

 hold up their pear trees when they are laden down with pears, 

 but I have one invariable rule, — never to allow a limb of a pear, 

 tree to carry any more pears than it can hold of its own strength. 

 Instead of propping or tying, pick them ofl\ People say, " We 

 cannot do it ; we cannot waste those pears." Why, they are 

 worse than wasted when they are allowed to stay on the tree. 



