244 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



May 



general cultivation. As there would not be time 

 to speak of many kinds of fruit in one lecture, he 

 would confine his remarks to the pear. 



The impression formerly prevailed that a long 

 life was required to bring the pear to bearing, and 

 hence the distich : 



"He who plants pears, 



Plants them for his heirs." 



The first thing necessary is a genial soil, and 

 proper preparation of it. It is absolutely nec- 

 essary that the soil should be rich and deep, or be 

 made so by artificial means. Thorough draining of 

 the soil, also, in some cases, lies at the foundation 

 of success. In a cold, wet soil, disease commences 

 at the root ; the juices become stagnant, and unfit 

 for vegetation. Thorough draining permits the air 

 to permeate the soil, warm it, and prepares the la- 

 tent fertilizing elements as food. Plants do not 

 suffer from drought where the soil is properly 

 drained. The imjjortance of draining is begin- 

 ning to be understood, and is attracting the atten- 

 tion of governments, both at home and abroad. 

 The Emperor of France has recently recommended 

 the appropriation of 100,000,000 francs ($20,000,- 

 000) for the encouragement of draining, — an act 

 which, if properly expended, will redound as much 

 to his honor as any of his life. 



For fruit trees the upper and lower soils, with ap- 

 propriate manures, should be thoroughly incorporat- 

 ed. But however properly the soil is prepared, the 

 vai'ieties selected for cultivation must be suited to 

 their localities also. All are not adapted equally 

 well to the same section of the country. All plants 

 flourish best in soils similar to those in which they 

 originally grew. Although we have many excel- 

 lent foreign varieties, the safest way is to raise our 

 own seedlings. Van Mons, after a long experience, 

 advised to sow seeds in order to obtain better 

 fruits. He (Mr. Wilder) was satisfied that the 

 best means of obtaining the most valuable plants 

 for particular localities is to plant the most hardy 

 and vigorous seeds, on the principle that like pro- 

 duces like, and from the conviction that immature 

 seeds will not produce vigorous, healthy plants. 



In reference to the cultivation of the pear upon 

 quince stocks, he thought the prejudice against this 

 practice must have arisen from a want of proper 

 management. The pear upon the quince should 

 be planted deep enough to cover the place of junc- 

 tion three or four inches below the soil, and then 

 the pear will throw out roots from itself, and the 

 result will be not only early fruiting, but also 

 strength and longevity. 



On the subject of the preservation of fruit, he 

 said particular attention should be paid to gather- 

 ing it. The pear should generally be picked a few 

 days before it would naturally come to maturity. 

 If the process of fermentation commences, the cel- 

 lular tissues are broken, and decay will ensue. 



When picked, pears should be kept at a low 

 temperature, that the ripening process may not 

 commence. The great difficulty is to keep them 

 from ripening in the -warm autumnal days, and he 

 had not been able to keep a perfect equilibrium of 

 temperature without the use of ice in the months 

 of October and November. 



In relation to the profits of fruit culture he thought 

 there was no branch of husbandry that could be 

 made more profitable. One gentleman in this vicin- 

 ity purchased in 1848 as many dwarf pear trees as 

 he could plant upon an acre, setting them in rows 

 eight feet by twelve ; and between the pear trees he 

 planted quinces. He received from them on the 5th 

 year 120 bushels of pears and 60 bushels of quinces. 

 He sold about 70 bushels of the pears at from $5 

 to $6 a bushel, and gave the rest away. Only two 

 or three per cent, of the trees have died, and they 

 are still healthy and vigorous. Similar facts might 

 be adduced to show the pecuniary advantage of 

 the business of raising fruits. The following list was 

 then given as being those Avhich are best suited to 

 this section of the country, those at the head of 

 each class being the earHest to ripen. 



SUMMER VARIETIES. 

 Boston, 

 Tyson, 

 Brandywine. 



Doyenne d'Ete, 

 Beurre Giffart, 



Rostiezer, 



EARLY AXJTIIMN. 



Bartlett, Golden Beurre of Bilboa, 



Doyenne Boursock, Andrews. 



MID AND LATE AUTUMN. 



Louise Bonne de Jersey, 



Belle Lucrative, 



Seckel, 



Urbaniste, 



Flemish Beauty, 



Lodge, 



Paradise d'Automnes 

 Beurre Bosc, 

 Beurre Diel, 

 Kigue d'Alencon, 

 Vicar of Winkfield, 

 Beurre d'Anjou. 



WINTER VARIETIES. 



Lawrence, 

 Winter Nelis, 

 Beurre Langlier, 

 Glout Morceau, 



Beurre d'Aremberg, 

 Easter Beurre, 

 Doyenne d'Alencon. 



VARIETIES WHICH SUCCEED WELL ON THE QUINCE. 



Beurre d'Amalis, 



Louise Bonne de Jersey, 



Belle Lucrative, 



Urbaniste, 



Duchesse d'Angouleme, 



Beurre Diel, 



Beurre d'Anjou, 



Vicar of Winkfield, 

 Nouveau Porteau, 

 Figue d'Alencon, 

 Winter Nelis, 

 Glout Morceau, 

 Easter Beurre, 

 Doyenne d'Alencon. 



NEW KINDS "fl'HICH GI\'E GOOD PROMISE. 



Conseillor de la Cour, 



Sheldon, 



Walker, 



Howell. 



Beurre Clairgeau, 



" Storkman, 



" Superfine, 

 Emile d'Heyst, 

 Pius IX. 



Mr. A. G. Sheldon, of Wilmington, said he had 

 cultivated pears but little ; but he had cultivated 

 apples with much success and profit. In his prac- 

 tice he had followed the counsel of an early friend, 

 and during the last sixteen years he had set out 

 1200 apple trees. When he commenced setting 

 them out, one man told him it was of no use, for 

 he would never get the fruit from them. But 

 that was not a proper principle to act upon. His 

 mother, after she was eightj-eight years of age, re- 



