30 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 



equally adapted for their several aspects. In shallow, 

 gravelly, or chalky soils, pears on pear stocks are to 

 be preferred for walls. 



It is almost useless to plant dessert pears against 

 north or north-east walls, as the fruit, unless in very 

 warm seasons, is generally deficient in flavor. The 

 only varieties that offer the least chance of success, 

 and that only in a warm climate with a dry soil, are 

 Marie Louise, Louise Bonne of Jersey, and Beurre 

 Superfin. It is far better to plant against such as- 

 pects baking or stewing pears, such as Catillac, Bel- 

 lissime d'Hiver, and Leon le Clerc de Laval ; the 

 Vicar of Winkfield is also a good north wall pear it 

 bears well and stews well. In the north the finer 

 sorts of pears must be cultivated on south walls. 



In recommending pears on quince stocks as py- 

 ramidal trees for cold soils and situations, even in the 

 far north, I may appear theoretical ; but from my 

 own experience, in some very cold and clayey soils in 

 this neighborhood, I feel sanguine as to the result, 

 for I have observed in my frequent visits to the pear 

 gardens of France that many sorts are often too 

 ripe. Now, this is just the tendency we require. In 

 our cold and moist climate, most certainly, pears will 

 not get too ripe, more especially in the north of Eng- 

 land and Scotland. Some years since I received a 

 letter from a correspondent living in a hilly part of 

 Derbyshire, from which I give an extract : " I have 

 tried Beurre Diel, Beurre de Capiaumont, Marie 

 Louise, and Williams's Bon Chretien, on pear stocks, 

 all of which bear well as standards, but their fruit 

 does not come to perfection always remaining quite 



