1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



95 



cases where a branch has a greater vigor than is 

 consistent with the symmetry and balance of the 

 head, it should be cut shniter in order that the sap 

 may pass to the weaker ones. 



Pruning to praduce certain forms- is a different 

 tiling. We will illustrate this by two young pear 

 trees (fig. 3 and 4) of one year's growth from the 

 bud or graft, worked on the quince at the surface of 

 the ground. The specimens that we have taken our 

 sketches from are a Bloodgood, (fig. 3,) four feet 

 high and furnished with numer- 

 ous side branches, and a Duchess 

 ■'.. it Angoulemc without branches, 



except two small shoots at the 

 top of the second or fall growth. 

 Now, supposing that .these are 

 intended for pyramidaT trees, we 

 would prune them as follows : — 

 In the Bloodgood (fig. 3) we cut 

 ofi' entirely the lower branch at 

 the base. This gives space 

 enough between the ground and 

 the first tier of branches for the 

 free circulation of air. Tlie other 

 branches we shorten, as shown 

 by the cross lines in the cut. 

 The stronger these branches are, 

 _ and the nearer tliey are situated 

 g^ to the extremi^ty of the leading 

 shoot, the cioE'eV they must be 

 Dwnif pear, one year cut, in order to produce equality 

 branch^' "''' *"'* between the stronger and weaker 

 branches, and to retain the sap 

 sufficiently in the base of the tree. These are the 

 main points to be observed in conducting pyramidal 

 trees. The very small branches are not cut at all, 

 in order to favor their growth. One of | 



them, that has a drooping direction, j; 



should be tied up to increase its vigor. 

 The Duchess cTJlngouleme, (figure 

 4,) that has only two weak shoots 

 near the top, must be cut back far 

 enough to ensure the production of side \, 

 brandies near the ground ; and this will ' 

 depend a good deal on the strength and 

 prominence of the buds. In some casea 

 it would be sutficient to cut the leading 

 shoot back to the fifth bud, and the two 

 side shoots to two buds each ; but in 

 general we must go lower and cut to a 

 strong bud below the side shoots ; and 

 if, even after this, the lower branches do 

 not push with vigor enough, the upper 

 shoots must be pinched oft" early in the 

 season, to check the growth above and 

 favor it below. It very generally hap- v! 

 pens that the two or three buds nearest in 



the leading shoots push so vigorously it 

 as to injure it. This must be prevented '-vjj?^^, 

 by timely pinching in the summer ; and /)„,^,.(- p^n,. 

 in all cases where a branch is likely to mie year frum 

 ac'juire undue vigor, to tbe detriment *'"', uhhont 

 of others and the balance of the tree, it ■"* brancht.-:. 

 must be checked by pinching. We shall treat of 

 this fully in season. 



The best pea sticks are Hazel or Filbert, Privet, 

 and Lilac bushes — all other woods tried, last but a 

 year or two, while thtse last many years, especially 

 the lilac. — Revue Horticole^ Paris. 



THE OSWEGO BEUHEE PEAR. 



Mr. P. Barry: — In accordance with a promise 

 made to you last fall, when I presented you speci- 

 mens of the Oswego Beurre, I will give some fur- 

 ther history of tills pear, the result of three years' 

 experience since it was described by Mr. Downing, 

 in the January number of the Horticulturist for 1847. 

 1 ate my last specimen the 19th of February inat. 

 They were kept till this late period of winter, by 

 packing in boxes with shorts. Every week, during 

 tlie winter, previous to this date, I have eaten them, 

 either baked or raw. Last fall a portion of tbe crop 

 was kept on the tree much later than on any former 

 year. My specimens were sound during December 

 and January. The last, eaten the 19tli of this month, 

 was about one third decayed on one side, sound at 

 the core, and retained the peculiar flavor of the va- 

 riety well. If the Oswego Beurre be allowed to re- 

 main on the tree till a sufficiently late period in the 

 fall, I believe it may be relied upon in this latitude, 

 both for the table and for cooking, from the middle 

 of October to the last of January. 



From the fact that .nearly all of the specimens 

 heretofore tested by pomologists have been picked 

 before fully grown, it has been pronounced an acid 

 pear. Mr. J. J. Thomas, in tiie last edition of the 

 Fruit Culturist, has very honestly no doubt said of 

 the Oswego Be'irre, it is "regarded as fully first 

 rate by those who like the vinous flavor of the Brown 

 Beurre or Beurre d'Arembeig." I ate a specimen of 

 the Oswego Beurre with a Beurre d'Aremberg, on 

 the first of January last, and found tliem nearly as 

 far apart in flavor as the Lady Sweeting and Rhode 

 Island Greening apples, tested at the same time. 



Mr. N. GooDSELi., the pioneer pomologist of West- 

 ern New York, who ate specimens with me, last 

 Christma.', pronounced it one of the most saccharine 

 pears he ever tasted. From the early and profuse 

 bearing of this saccharine pear, I believe it would be 

 the most profitable article to cultivate, (whether po- 

 monal or vegetable,) for the purpose of manufactur- 

 ing sugar. 



Although a handsome pear, and uniformly fair, it 

 has less of beauty than its parent, the White Doy- 

 enne. It lias the red cheek, occasionally, of the 

 latter, and approaches it nearer in general form than 

 Mr. Downing's cut would indicate. Beauty excepted, 

 it has been pronounced by the Fruit Committee of 

 our Horticultural Society here superior to that "ne- 

 plus ultra of perfection in flavor and beauty," the 

 White Dovenne, or Virgalieu. J. W. P. Allen. — 

 Oswego, Feb. 27, 1850. 



We may add, tliat, from our own experience, the 

 Oswego Beurre proves a vigorous and beautiful grow- 

 er, and an early and prolific bearer, both on pear 

 and quince. — En. 



Sweet Apples. — The scarcity of sweet apples 

 for market should induce our fruit growers to culti- 

 vate more extensively. Let me advise, in addition 

 to the Talman Sweeting, Chillicothe Sweet, Bailey 

 Sweet, and other good varieties, and that the Green 

 S^veeting be more generally grown. It is one of 

 the finest eating apples, and for cooking, it is one of 

 the best ; and does a family want to use several bar- 

 rels through the winter, it will keep firm and sound 

 until May, when all other sweet fruit is gone. J. 

 H. Watts. 



^Ji;=;3 



