1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



61 



prosecute its researches with such vigor and ef- 

 ficiency, from year to year, as will contribute 

 greatly to the progress of the science and the in- 

 terests of the community. Our correspondents 

 and friends in all parts of the country will oblige 

 xis much by communicating such facts as may 

 come under their observation. It is the duty, as 

 well as the interest of all engaged in the culture 

 of the garden or the field, to be observing — mi- 

 nutely and continually so in regard to this matter. 



Grafting the Pear on the Thorn. 



Mr. Barrt : — Will you please to state your experience 

 or what you know about grafting Pears on the Red or White 

 Thorn ?— and oblige a subscriber. 



Smiikville, N. Y. N. O. BoswoRTH. 



We have very little experience as to growing 

 the pear on the thorn. We know that it is prac- 

 tised to a limited extent for dwarfing the pear. 

 We have a few trees thus grafted on our own 

 place, but they do not flourish at all like those 

 grown on the quince. Mr. Downing says, in 

 his " Fruit Trees'': 



" The thorn makes very good stock for the pear, except, 

 that if grafted above ground, the tree is often apt to be bro- 

 ken off, at the point of union, by high winds. This is ob- 

 viated by grafting a little below the surface. Grafting in 

 the thorn is a very useful practice for strong clayey soils, 

 as, on such stocks the pear may be grown with success, 

 when it could not otherwise thrive." 



The remark, respecting the liability of the 

 graft to be blown off' the thorn stock, applies to 

 the quince to a certain degree, and to all cases 

 of grafting or budding on a slower growing 

 stock, for dwarfing ; it should be done low, at, 

 or below, the surface of the ground. It might 

 be inferred from the extract we have quoted from 

 Mr. Downing that the pear cannot be success- 

 fully grown, on its own stock, or "in strong 

 clayey soil." This is not so, as far as our ex- 

 perience and observation goes. Such soils, if 

 free from standing moisture, and if kept well 

 cultivated, will produce pears in great porfection. 

 Some varieties, we know, require a lighter and 

 warmer soil. 



We would recommend te all cultivators of the 

 pear, to use the pear stock where standards for 

 orchard culture are desired ; for dwarfing, gar- 

 den culture, and early bearing, the quince, — 

 Where the latter cannot be had, the thorn or 

 mountain ash may be used as substitutes ; but 

 they cannot be recommended as stocks to be 

 used in a general way. 



Beurre d'Amalis Pear. 



We consider this fruit scarcely surpassed by 

 any of the great number of fine varieties recent- 

 ly introduced. This seems to be the opinion of 

 ^1 who have tested it in this country. It is fig 

 ured and described in Hovey's Magazine, Vol, 

 3X, page 369. He says, "Among the new Bel 

 gian Pears, few are superior to the Beurre d' 

 Amalis ; of large size, good form and rich flavor 



Beurre d'Amalis Pear. 



it is scarcely excelled by any of the varietiee 

 which ripen at the same season." 



The late Mr. Manning says, in page 89, Vol. 

 VI, of Hovey's Magazine, (which was the first 

 notice as it in this country,) — "The scions of 

 this new Pear were received from the London 

 Horticultural Society. It is a first rate fruit, ri- 

 pening in Sept. and Oct." 



It is figured and described in Ive's edition of 

 the " New England Fruit Book." We think 

 the figure is too large and too long to convey a 

 correct idea of its average general appearance. 

 It is there said to be of " large size, flesh melting 

 and juicy ; flavor sweet and excellent ; tree vig- 

 orous." 



Thus we see that all agree on its excellence. 

 We imported our specimen tree from France, in 

 1844, and the past season it bore an immense 

 crop ; indeed they requii-ed thinning, and the 

 tree had to be supported. Every specimen ri- 

 pened perfectly on the tree, and we thought, and 

 so did our friends who ate of them, that they 

 were not easily surpassed. 



We subjoin Mr. Downing's description which, 

 we find corresponds minutely with our own ob- 

 servations : 



"A Belgian pear, of excellent quality, nearly first rat«. 

 Very productive. Fruit large, obovate, not very regular, a 

 little swollen on its sides. Skin rather tliick, dull yellowish 

 ijreen, with a pale reddish brown cheek, overspread with 

 numerous brown dots and russet streaks and patches.— 

 Stalk a little more than an inch long, set rather obliquely in 

 1 shallow, irregular cavity. Calyx open, with broad divis- 

 ions ; basin shallow. Flesh yellowi-sb, somewhat coarse, 

 but buttery, melting, abundant, rich, with slightly perfumed 

 juice. September." 



