THE GEFESEE FARMER. 



315 



oranges of the south. Within the knowledge of 

 many present, our hardiest varieties of the apjile, 

 as well as of the pear, have been injured by sudden 

 revulsions of climate." 



" Without detracting from the merit of any Amer- 

 ican pomologist, it is our firm persuasion that the 

 failures which have occurred in pear growing, 

 whether on the quince or its own stock, are at- 

 tributable to improper soil and varieties, to injudi- 

 cious treatment, or to neglect of cultivation." 



" Some varieties are constitutionally delicate and 

 feeble; and, of course, more subject than others to 

 climatic influences. They may be of exquisite fla- 

 vor, but are not well adapted to general cultivation. 

 These would only be grown by amateurs in favor- 

 able positions. Others are robust, vigorous, hardy 

 as the oak, resisting the extremes of cold and heat, 

 of tempest and storm, retaining their luxuriant and 

 persistent foliage to the end of the season." 



" Another cause of failure in the growth of the 

 pear tree, has been a competition for increasing the 

 number of varieties, rather than a satisfaction with 

 a few of known worth and excellence. Within 

 the last twenty-five years, this passion has led to 

 large importations of trees from foreign countries, 

 of the characteristics and habits of which we have 

 not had sufficient knowledge. During this period, 

 many of those on our list for general cultivation 

 have been obtained ; but to secure these, and satisfy 

 onrselves of their excellence, we have been obliged 

 to grow a multitude of kinds, which have proved 

 inferior and worthless." 



"The diseases of the pear, like those of most 

 other fruits, result from definable causes. For 

 many of these, we have already acquired sufficient 

 knowledge to apply the appropriate remedies; and 

 it is to be hoptd, with the progress of science, we 

 shall ere long be able to prevent even the blight — 

 that fearful destroyer of this tree in some localities. 

 " Much has been said against the longevity of the 

 pear tree; particul irly when grafted on the quince. 

 In reference to the latter point, I need only re-af- 

 firm the sentiments contained in my last address, 

 and subsequently corroborated by the most distin- 

 guished cultivators. One of these remarks, 'My 

 best trees are on the quince. The best fruits of 

 our exhibitions are from the quince stock, and our 

 profits in fruit raising are from the same source.' " 

 " The attempts to write down the pear upon the 

 quince stock, are examples among a thousand others 

 in the literature of gardening, to assail some of the 

 soundest principles of physiological science and 

 practical art." 



" Of the longevity of the pear upon its own stock, 

 there can be no doubt. In favorable circumstances, 

 the pear outlives most other fruit bearing trees. 

 Witness the old pear trees on the bleak and rock- 

 bound coast of Puritan New England; on the site 

 of the old Dutch Colony ; at the mouth and along 

 the banks of the Hudson ; in the territory of the 

 ancient French Colony about Detroit, and in other 

 places too numerous to be named." 



Profit of Pear Culture. — " But the immediate 

 question under consideration is, ' Can pears be 

 grown at a profit?' We advocate the affirmative, 

 premising that the conditions of success to which 

 we have already referred must be complied with. 

 This question has been satisfactorily answered by 

 pomologists, some of whom I am happy to recog- 



nize in this assembly, yet the responsive facts and 

 arguments deserve to be embodied and published 

 under the sanction of this National Assembly. To 

 a record of these as collated from various authors, 

 so far as they are confirmed by personal observation 

 and experience, I now invite your attention : 



"The Fruit Growers' Society of Western New 

 York, furnish the following instance from that sec- 

 tion of the State: 



" Three White Doyenne Pear trees, owned by 

 Mr. Phinney, of Canandaigua, one of them small, 

 produce annually fifty to sixty dollars worth of fin© 

 fruit. 



" A tree of the same variety, owned by Judg« 

 Howell, of same place, seventv years of age, has 

 not failed of a good crop for forty years, aver- 

 aging, for the last twenty years, twenty bushel* 

 annually, and sold on the tree at sixty dollars per 

 year, 



" Three large trees owned by Judge Taylor, of 

 same kind, yielded in 1854, eleven barrels, and sold 

 for one hundred and thirty-seven dollars. 



" A young orchard, owned by Mr, Chapin, of 

 four hundred trees, eight years from planting, 

 which produced, in 1853, fifteen barrels, selling in 

 New York for four hundred and fifty dollars, and, 

 in 1854, fifty barrels, yielding him one thousand 

 dollars. 



" Sunilar results have been realized in the Stat© 

 of Massachusetts, 



"William Bacon, of Roxbury, has about one 

 acre devoted to the pear. The oldest trees were 

 planted eighteen years since, but more than half 

 within a few years. From two years, the Dix 

 and Beurre Diel, he has realized more than one 

 hundred dollars a year, and for the whole crop, 

 over one thousand dollars a year. 



"John Gordon, of Brighton, has three and one 

 fourth acres in his pear orchard. There are twelve 

 hundred trees, planted in various years, more than 

 one-half of which since 1854. The amount re- 

 ceived for his crop from that date to the present, 

 has been from five to six hundred do'Iars a year, 

 but he remarks, ' If I had confined myseilt. ' a judi- 

 cious selection of varieties, it would now jriug me 

 two thousand dollars per year.' 



" Wm. R. Austin, of Dorchester, has an orchard 

 of between five and six hundred pear trees, mostly 

 on the quince root. These trees are about twelve 

 years of age. One hundred are Louise Bonne de 

 jersey's. They are very healthy, and only eight 

 of the whole number have died since the orchard 

 was commenced. No account of the crops were 

 kept until the year 1851, but Mr, Austin's sales for 

 the next six years amounted to three thousand four 

 hundred and eight dollars. 



"The Messrs, Hovey, of Cambridge, have a 

 very large collection of bearing pear trees. From 

 two rows, two hundred and ten trees, grafted on 

 the quince, the crop has amounted, some years, to 

 twenty-five barrels, 



"John Henshaw, of Cambridge, planted about 

 an acre, principally on the quince. On the fifth 

 year thereafter, he gathered one hundred and 

 twenty bushels of pears, seventy bushels of which 

 he sold at five to six dollars per bushel, 



"A Buflfum pear tree at Worcester, belonging to 

 Mr. Earle, yields annually from thirty to forty dol 

 lars worth of pears, Mr, Pond, of the same city; 



