No. 200. 1 , 91 



MANNING, ON THE CULTURE OF THE PEAR. 



Salem, Mass., Nov. 27lh, 1845. 

 Our pear trees are set at a distance of from 12 to 15 feet each 

 way, and the apple trees 30 feet. In planting them, especial care 

 should be taken that they are not set too deep ; and that no cavities, 

 or hollows unfilled by dirt are left among the roots. 



For manure, we find nothing better than good stable dung (the older 

 the better,) and decomposed vegetable matter. We have also used 

 muscle bed, or sea marl, quite extensively, and with very good 

 success especially on plum trees. Pruning is performed only to pre- 

 serve the balance of the tree and to prevent limbs from interfering 

 with each other. 



We consider the best season for pruning to be whenever the wounds 

 will heal over soonest, which is, in this climate from the 1st., to the 

 middle of June. Insects do not trouble much, the melliod we 

 have pursued with them, and which I believe to be the best, is to kill 

 them all by hand while young. 



Yours, respectfully, 



ROBERT MANNING. 



JOHN M. IVES'S METHOD OF CULTIVATING THE PEAR. 



Salem, Mass , Nov. 19th, 1845. 

 My soil is a light sandy loam, with a sub-soil of gravel and clay, 

 made retentive by the application of clay, and salt. The former I 

 place upon the ground in the fall in heaps, and in spring spread it 

 evenly over the surface, and plough it in ; the latter I spread also up- 

 on the surface in early spring at the rale of 30 bushels to the acre. I' 

 cultivate pears upon the quince dwarfs, as some of the new Flemish 

 varieties grow better on this stock, especially the " Duchess de An- 

 gouleme." T have been more successful in the cultivation of the 

 plum since using salt. Upon three quarters of an acre, I placed 

 last spring early in April, spread broadcast upon the surface at least 

 four hogsheads of damaged salt ; on the 1st of May this was spaded 

 in. 1 prune in June, believing that wounds heal better at that pe- 

 riod. 



Yours respectfully, 



JOHN M. IVES. 



