CULTtVATION OP PEARS IN NORTHERN INDIANA. 



251 



deep for moisture and food ; but such as do never 

 reach a large size, except in localities where they may 

 do so without encountering a hard-pan or stagnant 

 water. 



The most remarkable proof of what I have here 

 stated is seen along the Ridge road from Sodus Bay 

 to the Niagara river. Almost the whole distance 

 between the two places the highway is lined with 

 farms having more or less fruit trees next the road — 

 that i?, along a gravelly ridge where water never lies' 

 but almost drops through, so perfect is the drainage 

 The over-lying soil is not what is called rich — but' 

 when once a fi ait tree becomes established, its progress 

 \i rapid and sure. The beauty, flavor, and uniform 

 medium size of fruit from these trees is a matter o 

 history; but the size of the trees and their unabated 

 vigor is astonishing. The apple is found in a few 

 years to need not less than forty feet space; the pear 

 nearly as much, in spite of its preference for a clay; 

 while the mazzard cherry becomes a forest tree of 

 first-class magnitude; the peach lasts almost a life- 

 time — and in fact, all the fruits which get a little care 

 are produced in great perfection. 



I think it will not be denied that Ridge road soil 

 is not particularly rich, in the common acceptation 

 of the term ; but the fact that a tree may search 

 among gravel and sand, as well as along the warm, 

 porous surface, for moisture and the food carried 

 away down by the rains, secures its most perfect con- 

 dition for a greater number of years than upon any 

 soil where similar conditions are not found. 



The natural preference of some fruit-bearing trees 

 for clay over sand and rice versa, is not to be over- 

 looked, but it is slill of less importance than the con- 

 ditions above mentioned; as for instance, the plum 

 and pear rejoice in a stiff clay soil, tut will not thrive 

 if it be wet below. The cherry and peach love the 

 sand — but not where down one or two feet below the 

 surface you find a close, impervious clay. On the 

 contrar)', if the clay be upon the top, and a loose, 

 permeable soil is found below, they flourish surpri- 

 singly. Want of attention to these considerations 

 has been the cause of many failures in fruit-gowing; 

 even experienced men after obsernng the surface and 

 noticing the inclination of the field to the sun and 

 perceiving that water will rapidly run off from their 

 choice elevation, conclude that here fine fruit can of 

 course be grown. Alas! beneath that mellow loam 

 or sandy ridge a retentive clay of stony hardness may 

 lie, and springs leak out of the hillsides, kept from 

 parsing down by the close subsoil. After years of 

 trial and much vexation the cultivator finds his or- 



chard yielding only inditfereut crops of dull colored 

 and -mossy, misshapen specimens, which hardly pay 

 for gathering. 



In the light of these facts how many failures in 

 fruit-growing we can explain, and how important 

 does the tile become. How caretul should the planter 

 of trees be to examiue his orchard ground in the spring 

 floods and in the open winter months when frost and 

 water do their work-^ — how sure to select a site, if 

 possible, where water never lies upon or near the 

 surface for any length of time, and how prompt to 

 tap with well-laid pipes every sour spot. 



It would be interesting to inquire how far we may 

 remedy the natural disadvantages of the soil for 

 fruit-growing by the use of drain tiles and the sub- 

 soil plow; but rather than enter upon the subject, I 

 shall wait another opportunity, and meantime hope 

 to hear from somebody who has tried them. 



Yours, Sub-Soil. 



CULTTVATION OF PEAKS IN KOKTHEKN INDIANA 



Mr. Editor: — This important branch of horticul- 

 ture may be said to have attracted as yet very little 

 attention in Indiana, notwithstanding the fact that 

 we have in many (I may say most) localities all thai 

 can be desired in point of ^oil for the successful 

 growing of this delicious fruit. The entire region of 

 country lying on both sides of the Wabash valley, 

 and indeed, all along the Wabash and Erie canal from 

 Toledo to the Ohio river, and extending north to 

 the counties bordering Michigan and the Lake Mich- 

 igan, in many instances clay is abundant and natu- 

 rally exists in the soil; and where this is not the case 

 it can be obtained from the river banks and heavy- 

 timbered regions, with no extra expense except draw- 

 ing; and in all our travels we have never seen a soil 

 better adapted to the growth of the penr than that 

 on and lying adjacent to the Wabash river. In ma- 

 ny instances, clay is abundant; the soil is loam, some- 

 times sandy, but in most cases resting on a rocky 

 and clay subsoil. 



The cultivation of the pear on the free stock could 

 not fail to be a very lucrative investment. But a 

 few days since we were much delighted to see pears 

 by the bushel hanging in clusters; they were indeed 

 beautiful to look upon. Tliey were on the grounds 

 of Mr. H. McCuLLOcK, of this city. We think we 

 are safe in estiinating his crop at 300 bushels (if no 

 accident befal them) on about two dozen trees. I 

 understand these trees have only been set eight or 

 ten years. Among them we recognized the Bartlett, 



