DWARF PEAR TREES. 11 



rich compost of heavy loam and manure to the depth of one foot, 

 and this, well worked in with one foot of the surface soil, will give 

 the depth and quality of soil calculated to secure success with 

 the quince stock. But with this preparation it may be necessary 

 to mulch the ground until the trees become established, as I found 

 from experience last season. Having set some dwarf trees in the 

 spring, they all started well ; but, about the middle of July they 

 stopped growing, and I found upon examination the soil seemed 

 perfectly dry down to the roots of the trees. Upon giving the 

 ground a good mulching and a thorough watering as far as the 

 roots extended, they again commenced making growth. In select- 

 ing the dwarf trees, take only those that are low worked, or 

 budded near the crown of the roots, so that when they are set the 

 quince portion of the stock may be placed at least three inches 

 below the surface, without carrying the roots too low in the ground. 



Much of the pruning usually done with the knife may be better 

 and more easily done by frequently pinching in the stronger grow- 

 ing shoots. If the trees are trained in the usual pyramidal form 

 they -will frequently push a few strong shoots, which, if allowed to 

 grow, make large, soft, unripe wood, most of which has to be cut 

 out to preserve the form of the tree. If those shoots are pinched 

 in, after having made as much growth as can be retained, the wood 

 will become hard, the sap will be thrown into the less vigorous 

 branches, and a more uniform growth will be secured ; and at the 

 time of doing this the necessary thinning of the fruit may be 

 performed. This is a harder thing to do, especially in the earlier 

 years, when the dwarfs are the only source from which the supply 

 of pears can be expected, but, however thorough may have been 

 the preparation and the cultivation afterwards, good fruit of most 

 of the varieties will not be produced, if all that sets is allowed to 

 remain on the trees. 



Remove all the fruit blossoms the first two years. From two to 

 a dozen specimens may be allowed to grow the third year ; a very 

 moderate crop the fourth year ; a fair crop may be expected the 

 fifth year ; and after this the trees, if in good condition and vvell 

 cared for, will prove the most reliable for their yearly returns. 



To those having limited grounds the dwarf is a necessity, as, 

 by due pruning, they ma}' be grown several years in the limits of 

 a circle seven feet in diameter, and thus many trees may be grown 

 where it would be impracticable to set standards. 



