568 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



teen ounces; the fruit above an average size, be- 

 ing about as large as a Black Hamburg, in ap- 

 pearance very much like it, with a very thin skin, 

 a perfect bag of juice, and of the most delicious 

 flavor." — Germantown Telegraph. 



AN" EXTENSIVE PEAK ORCHARD. 



The past week we visited a very extensive pear 

 orchard in this country, perhaps the largest in 

 Western New York, planted by Messrs. Starks 

 & Mattison, embracing forty-five acres, on which 

 are growing over 4,800 young standard pear trees, 

 all healthy, and making a good growth, and many 

 of them bearing good fruit. So well pleased 

 were we with the appearance of this orchard, that 

 we made a rather careful examination, and gained 

 some facts, which may be of interest and profit 

 to our readers. These trees were from three to 

 five years old when planted, which was done dur- 

 ing the winter of 1857-8. The winter being un- 

 usually mild, planting, which commenced in De- 

 cember, was continued through January, Febru- 

 ary, March and April. Occasionally, freezing 

 weather would put a stop to the work for a few 

 days. No diff'erence is apparent in the growth of 

 the trees between those which were planted in 

 the fall, spring, or winter, and not a dozen out 

 of the number died. The varieties are as fol- 

 lows : 



Flemish Beauty 224 Dearborn's Seedling. 



Kosliezer 112 Gfinsel's Bergamot.. 



Louise Bonne de Jersey. . . .231 Columbia 



Bartlett 1,000 Beurre Diel 



Doyenne Gris d'Hiver 27 Winter Nelis 



Seckel 270 Lawrence. 



..58 

 ..50 

 .58 

 .294 

 ..58 

 .311 



Virgalieu 1 ,316 Glout Morceau 116 



Onondaga 58 Vicar Winlifield 373 



Sheldon 151 Easter Beurre 70 



The soil is a clay loam, or as the proprietor 

 expressed it, a "limestone loam" for eight to ten 

 inches or more, subsoil clay, though not very 

 stifi', having an admixture of loam, with a little 

 sand, the whole resting upon fossil lime rock. 

 The ground was prepared by subsoiling, about 

 eighteen inches deep, and the trees planted twen- 

 ty feet apart each way. In setting them out the 

 roots were covered with earth to the depth of 

 about one inch, over which v/as spread something 

 like two inches of stable manure. The remain- 

 ing portion of the opening was then filled with 

 earth to grade. The planting being completed, 

 the upper portion of the roots were about one 

 inch below the average grade of the soil. About 

 one-half a bushel of earth was placed at the foot 

 of each tree, in a conical form, immediately after 

 planting, which was allowed to remain until the 

 middle of May, and was then levelled and the 

 earth spaded as deep as practicable without 

 interrupting the roots, for a space of six feet 

 in diameter. In the fall of 1858 a mulching of 

 about two bushels of manure was given to each 

 tree, over which M'as placed earth in pyramidal 

 form to the depth of one foot, to protect from 

 mice and severity of winter. This was allowed 

 to remain until the first of May, last when all was 

 made level, and spaded as before, over an area 

 seven feet in diameter. 



The trunk of every tree, from the ground to 

 the branches, is covered v/ith a bag made of cot- 

 ton cloth, sufficiently large to admit of three or 



four years' growth, the cloth being fastened to 

 the lower branches, and hanging to the ground. 

 This, the proprietors believe, protects the trunks 

 from the sun, and from sudden changes of tem- 

 perature, and in a great measure prevents blight 

 and other evils, such as the hardening of the 

 bark, the contraction of the pores, thus prevent- 

 ing the free flow of sap, necessary exhalation, &:c. 

 Two cedar stakes are driven by each tree, to 

 which it is fastened, preventing swaying by the 

 wind, in any direction. 



The rows run east and west for about three- 

 fourths of a mile, and are as true as it is possi- 

 ble to plant trees. At the western extremity is 

 planted a belt of Norway spruce, across the en- 

 tire orchard, consisting of two rows ten feet 

 apart, and the trees in the rows twenty feet apart, 

 those in one row being opposite the open space 

 in the other, leaving the trees ten feet apart. 

 Two similar belts are planted through the orch- 

 ard, at about equal distances, though the high- 

 est points of land are selected for the purpose, 

 and these it is thought will aff'ord all necessary 

 protection from the wind, as the trees are made 

 to head low. 



Now, for the result thus far. The trees are 

 healthy and vigorous, and making a fine growth, 

 many having already made shoots from three to 

 four feet in length. Although having had but 

 one season's growth since planting previous to 

 the present, many of the trees are bearing fruit. 

 On one Seckel we counted 131 specimens, and 

 on the Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, &:c., fullj' as 

 many as the trees should be allowed to bear. On 

 removing the cloth from the trees we found the 

 bark glossy, smooth, and soft to the touch, yield- 

 ing under the pressure of the finger. No blight 

 has ever been seen in the orchard, and this ex- 

 emption the proprietors think is mainly attribu- 

 table to the protection afl"orded the trunks by the 

 cloth. 



The proprietors are entitled to great credit for 

 their enterprise, and we hope to see them amply 

 remunerated, as we have no doubt they will be 

 before many years. Mr. Mattison is an expe- 

 rienced nurseryman, who knows how trees should 

 be grown and cultivated, and practices himself 

 the thorough course that he recommends to oth- 

 ers, of which this orchard gives abundant proof. 

 Nearly every tree he has grown from the seed ; 

 and here we may say that Mr. M. claims an im- 

 proved method of cultivating pear seedlings, by 

 root-pruning during growth, thereby securing a 

 larger number of fibrous roots, which, to some 

 extent, prevents leaf blight, and ensures greater 

 safety in the removal of trees, even when large. 



This orchard, if well cared for, for a few years 

 longer, must yield a princely revenue. We hope 

 these gentlemen will have many imitators in 

 Western New York ; and, indeed, in all parts of 

 the country where fruit can be grown with profit. 

 — Mooters Rural New-Yorker. 



Acquaintance Resumed. — We are happy to 

 call the attention of readers to an article by "JVor- 

 folk," in another column, and to learn that New 

 Hampshire air, and New Hampshire fare, have 

 brought back to our correspondent health, en- 

 ergy and action once more. 



