THE GENESEE FARMER. 



345 





FKUIT-GEOWEK'S SOCIETY OF WESTERN NEW-YORK 



The Fruit-Grower's Society of Western New-York was 

 held at Rochester, September 25th, 1860, at 11 A. M. 



The exhibition of fruit, which was very fine indeed, was 

 made in conjunction with that of the Genesee Valley Hor- 

 ticultural Society, and attracted a great deal of attention, 

 even from persons as conversant with excellent fruit cul- 

 ture as are the residents of the vicinity of Rochester. 



The display of grapes was finer than ever before made 

 in Western New-York, especially of Delaware, Diana, 

 Concord, Rebecca, Hartford Prolific, &c., &c., the com- 

 ments upon which will be found in their place in these 

 discussions. 



After the usual formalities of organization, the morn- 

 ing session was opened by the discussion of the question 

 of " The Adaptaton of Standard or Dwarf Pears to Dif- 

 ferent Soils in our Climate." 



Col. HoDGK, of Erie county, thought this question to be 

 one of a great deal of importance, particularly to all pear 

 cultivators. One great cause of the decided difference 

 between cultivators in their success, is on account of the 

 ill-adaptation of the trees which are set out to the soil 

 upon wliicli they are planted. For instance, the owner 

 ot a fine farm, with a very light sandy or gravelly soil, 

 sets out an orchard of pears on quince, and the result is 

 that he is probably unsuccessful in large profits. An- 

 other farmer, with a stifl'er mixture of clay with sand, or 

 of a heavier gravelly loam, neither too dry nor too wet, 

 plants his Dwarf orchard, and they succeed admirably. 

 At Buffalo, the opinion prevails that Dwarf Pear trees 

 upon a combination of clay and loam succeed admirably, 

 and cultivators in Erie county have had full opportunity 

 to test the results. The opinion, also, is that Standard 

 Pears succeed best upon deep sandy soils, where the roots 

 can penetrate several feet into the sub-soil. 



D. W. Beadle, of Canada West, said : We never fail 

 upon our soil in growing good Dwarf Pears, although the 

 soil is not as heavy as might seem to be necessary from 

 Col. Hodge's remarks. I never thought that ours was a 

 soil which was clayey ; we rather call it sandy. With us 

 we find tliat the Orange Quince bush really grows much 

 finer, and produces better fruit, upon a somewhat clayey, 

 heavy soil. The stock upon which Pear trees are bud- 

 ded in order to dwarf them, is the Angers Quince, and a 

 slightly diflerent habit — not to be so much atiected as the 

 other by differences in the composition of soils. The 

 only real enemy which we have in Canada to Pear cul- 

 ture, either on Standards or Dwarfs, is the disease which 

 we in our ignorance call fire blight. 



Col. HoDc;i3 was drawn up by Dr. Beadle's remarks, to 

 explain that in his remarks as to sandy or clay soils, light 

 or heavy, he spoke of the two extremes of soil. The soil 

 at St. Catherines is neither extreme; should call it a 

 sandy loam, neither extremely wet nor extremely dry, and 

 consequently was well adapted to the culture of either 

 Standards or Dwarfs. Would say that the trees in Mr. 

 Beadle's plantation are veiy fine, and the result in the 

 o-rowth of Standards or Dwarfs is not much different. 

 Would repeat, however, his meaning in previous remarks, 

 and that was, that the extremes of clayey and sandy soils 

 differed in adaptation to Dwarfs and Standard trees. 



E. MooDT, of Niagara county, stated- that upon his farm 

 Dwarfs as a whole did not succeed. Most of it is a dry, 

 gravelly soil, commonly known south of Lake Ontario as 

 the " ridge soil," and Standards succeed first rate. Raises 

 very fine Bartletts on Standard, and excellent Virgalieus 

 on Standard. Has some pretty stiff clay soil where the 

 Dwarfs do verj^ well. It is of the character called a "re- 

 tentive soil." Had found that upon heavy soils the Stan- 

 dards had a greater tendency to crack their Iruit than the 

 Dwarfs had. 



P. BARiir, of Monroe county, remaiked that the Dwarf 

 Pear must have a good deep rich soil and good cultiva- 

 tion, in order to succeed very well. It is certain that the 

 Standard will succeed, both as to growth and fruiting, in 

 a soil where the Dwarf will not, because the Standard can 

 be persuaded to grow upon a poorer, lighter soil. Would 

 rather lay it down as a rule that all Pear trees require a 

 good soil and good treatment. Our trees of both descrip- 

 tions are standing in a soil which, although quite light, is 

 called by most a sandy loam ; and I have seen orchards 

 doing equally well upon similar soil in other places.* They 

 did not have great enriching at any one time ; but we give 

 to them an annual manuring upon the surface, or a com- 

 post adapted to the nature of the soil, and lightly spaded 

 in. On a small scale, the Dwarf Pear can be grown well 

 upon any soil, or in any locality; because if too sandy, it 

 can be mixed with loam or clay, and if too clayey, the ad- 

 dition of sand will remedy the defect; but when we come 

 to speak of the cultivation of Pear trees upon a large 

 scale, for profit, where these amendments cannot easily 

 be made to the quality, I would by no means advise the 

 Dwarf, or any other tree, to be planted upon a dry, light, 

 gravelly, poor soil. The soil must be a drv soil any way — 

 that is a requisite never to be omitted — but must be a 

 dry substantial loam, like what our farmers here call their 

 best wheat soils. It is difficult to classify soils ; there are 

 so many grades and such inqjercep ible differences, which 

 yet affect growth, but the skill and enterprise of cultiva- 

 tors of our various fruits have overcome what would gen- 

 erally have been termed impossibilities. Still, if any 

 farmer has light blowing sand upon one part of his pre- 

 mises, or springy wet soil upon another, I would not 

 plant any sort of Pears upon either of them, any way. 

 As to the adaptation of sorts to Dwarf, which varieties 

 succeed best as Dwarfs, much depends on the selection of 

 varieties. Every year confirms the opinion that Louise 

 Bonne de Jersey is one of the very best sorts for Dwarfs. 

 So also is Duchesse d'Angouleme. These two iu particu- 

 lar will take the lead of all others. They bear good crops 

 of fruit every year. They are long-lived, grow thriftily, 

 and are sure to bring-in a profit to the cultivator. For 

 permanent orchards, a Society like this must always re- 

 commend such varieties as we know live to a good age, 

 and are profitable in good soils generally. If I were to 

 add, would also mention Beurre Diel and Beuire d'Anjou. 



U. N. Langwokthy, of Monroe county, could speak 

 from his experience as to Louise Bonne, Bartlett, &c., 

 upon a light sandy soil, among Peach trees. Had found 

 that such land was too light, and that the trees did not 

 grow well the first year, &c.; but that this year they grew 

 well, some making growth of over two feet, and perfected 

 large, fine fruit, and a large number also. 



T. C. Maxwell, of Ontario county, [spoke of his own 

 cultivation being upon a rather heavy soil, and he had 

 found the trees to grow well, and so does the fruit. 

 Agreed with Mr. Barry, and did not think the same 

 opinions could be better expressed than had been done 

 by Mr. K\rry. 



F. W. Lay, of Monroe county, has an orchard of three 

 year old trees, which he planted iu such locality that the 

 long rows of trees run through mixed soils, and much 

 varied in running from one soil to another. Desired to 

 add Belle Lucrative to the sorts which are valuable on 

 Quince. Bartlett with me on a light soil succeeds well, 

 upon the lightest soil where I give it good cultivation, 

 and so also does the Flemish Beauty to some extent. 



Mr. Moody spoke of the comparative liability of Stan- 

 dards to suffer from blight upon one soil than another; 

 for he thought them not as liable to blight ujion light 

 soils. On my place, in Niagara county, have never se^n 

 a Standard tree with fire-blight — nor have I ever had a 

 cracked Virgalieu. As to Mr. Barry's soil, I would not 

 call it a light soil ; it is a mixture, a part of which sticks 

 to the boots of those walking through it after a heavy 

 I rain ; should call it a clayey loam. My Standard Virga- 



