The Pear. 67 



them practice in root- and top-grafting, and budding the 

 apple, providing the time of year is suitable. 



4. Study any of the insects and diseases named as harm- 

 ful to the apple, of which samples can be found, and apply 

 the preventive methods so far as practicable. 



5. Practice in picking, assorting and barreling apples if 

 the time of year admits. 



6. Study the methods of assorting and packing apples as 

 illustrated in your local market, and if possible, compare 

 the quality of the same variety from different sources. 



B — THE PEAR 



69. The pear. The finer varieties of the pear are among 

 the most delicious of fruits. Perhaps no other fruit has 

 been more improved by cultivation. While the finer pears 

 may excel the apple in edible quality, the pear is of less 

 commercial and domestic importance than the apple, owing 

 to its narrower cultural range. 



to. Cultural range. The pear is nearly as resistant to 

 cold as the apple, but owing to its great susceptibility to 

 fire blight (62), it succeeds Avell only in special locations. 

 It is grown on a commercial scale chiefly in the part of the 

 United States lying east of the Mississippi Valley, and on 

 the Pacific coast. It does not succeed well in the Southern 

 States, and is little grown in Canada. 



tl. Soils and sites. Since fire-blight is the chief ob- 

 stacle to the culture of the pear within its climatic range, 

 aud since this disease is favored by the conditions that favor 

 rapid growth (62), the soil and site for the pear orchard 

 sliould be such as do not stimulate rapid growth in warm 

 weather. A well-drained clay soil of moderate fertility, 

 and a cool and airy location, should therefore be selected 

 for the pear orchard. 



