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THE GENi:SEE FAEMER. 



SUMMER PEAES. 



Near the large cities and villages, nothing that 

 can be marketed at this season of the year will 

 prove more remunerative to the fruit culturist than 

 a crop of summer pears. The perfect adaptability 

 of this fruit to the climate and soil of this country, 

 has been thoroughly decided in the mind of every 

 man who has taken the flri^ step in the investiga- 

 tion of the subject. That there have been many 

 failures in growing pears, there is not the least 

 doubt ; but we would ask with what fruits have 

 there not been failures ? And we might even ask 

 the question, with what staple farm crops have 

 there not been partial and total failures, which at 

 tlie time seemed to forebode their utter extinction ? 

 Could we collect together the facts in relation to 

 the millions of apple trees that are planted in this 

 country every year, they would tell a tale which 

 would astonish all fruit growers. Many intelligent 

 and observing men, whose opinions we have ob- 

 tained, and who are in situations enabling them 

 to judge with much accuracy in this matter, do 

 not hesitate to say that one-half of all the apple 

 trees that are planted in the country are dead at 

 the end af the second year after planting, and a 

 large proportion of the remainder fail after this 

 time. And yet no one doubts that the apple tree 

 is suited to our country. These failures have oc- 

 curred so often that it is taken as a matter of course. 

 When the orchard is once planted, it is expected 

 til at a new stock of trees is to be purchased every 

 year to fill in where the dead ones are removed, 

 until the whole number is complete, which is often 

 several years. The cause or causes of these fail- 

 ures, in the majority of cases, the planter does not 

 fail to attribute, at least mentally, to his own igno- 

 rance or carelessness, however much he may try to 

 throw it back upon other parties, in order to excuse 

 himself; but to say that the climate or soil is at 

 fault, is seldom attempted, as perhaps the very next 

 farm may liave upon it a flourisliing orchard. 



The pear tree being more difficult to propagate, 

 has never been disseminated by nurserymen to the 



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extent that the apple has been — the well know: 

 law of demand being proportionate to supply, hold- 

 ing true in this case as in others. Of course thi9^ 

 state of things has reacted again upon nurserymen^., 

 and the result has been a limited supply and a lim* 

 ited demand. The above named cause, with the 

 other obvious one that the pear is more especially 

 a dessert fruit than the apple, and can not in cook- 

 ing be used in so many various ways, is sufficient 

 to account for the comparatively small proportion 

 of pear trees growing in the country, without in- 

 venting so unfounded a theory as unsuitable soil or 

 climate. 



It is not intended to be understood that either 

 the soil or the climate of this country, or any part 

 of it, is faultless, or that much may not be done 

 to ameliorate them ; but that in themselves they 

 are not sufficient cause why more attention is not 

 paid to the cultivation of the pear. The facts are, 

 now more attention is being directed to the culti- 

 vation of this fruit, that the trees are found to do 

 well wherever the apple succeeds ; and, as a gen- 

 eral rule, they come into bearing from two to five 

 years sooner than the apple. "We refer, of course, 

 to trees worked on the pear stock ; on the quince fig 

 stock, it is now well understood that they com- 

 mence to fruit the second or third year from plant- 

 ing. If the often quoted words, "he that plants 

 pears, plants for liis heirs," were even true, when 

 applied to the fruit growers in any of the European 

 countries, they should be used where they properly 

 apply, and not here, where the pear proves to be 

 one of the earliest bearing fruit trees. 



But we are digressing from our design, which, 

 first, was to introduce to the notice of our readers 

 a few of the best summer pears, which, another 

 season, have proved to be most worthy of culti- 

 vation. 



The Madeleine was the first ripe pear we saw 

 this summer, being in eating on and alter the 25th 

 of July. It is of medium size, obscure pyriform ; 

 color, light green, sometimes with a faint cheek in 

 the sun, and patches of russet about the base of the 

 stem. Stem from one and one-half to two inches 

 in length, slender, and inserted on the side of the 

 projecting summit, or, in some specimens, in a 

 slight cavity. Basin shallow and ribbed. Calyx 

 open or spreading. TJie flesh is melting and very 

 juicy, with a slight acid, making it cooling and 

 constituting it one of the most desirable sorts at 

 this hot season. 



Doyenne cfEte ripens about the same time as 

 Madeleine. Medium size, obovate, slightly pyri- 

 form; bright straw color, with a rich dark crimson 



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