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Lessons in Fruit Growing, 



72. Fruiting habit. The fruiting habit of the pear is 

 very similar to that of the apple. The growth of the fruit 

 spurs is apt to be a little more rapid (Fig. 21), and the buds 

 are perhaps more likely to form 

 flowers the first year of their life 

 than in case of the apple. The 

 tree comes into bearing at about 

 the same age as the apple tree, 

 but as it seldom attains so large a 

 size, individual trees are not often 

 as productive as apple trees of the 

 same age. 



13. Soil treatment and prun- 

 ing. To avoid fire blight (62) the 

 tillage of the standard ^ pear or- 

 chard should be less thorough 

 than that recommended for or- 

 chards in general (29). Nitroge- 

 nous cover crops, and manures 

 rich in nitrogen, should com- 

 monly be avoided, but potash and 

 phosphoric acid may be freely 

 used. 



The pruning of the standard 

 pear tree should be very similar 

 to that recommended for the apple (44, 34), but it is espe- 

 cially important to avoid over-pruning. 



t4. Propagation of the pear. The best stock for stand- 

 ard pear trees is seedlings of their own species. The seeds 

 should be separated from the pulp, stratified in sand and 



> The word standard, when applied to a fruit tree, means that the tree is ex- 

 pected to attain its normal height; L e., that it has not been dwarfed by graft- 

 ing it on dwarf stock (75). 



Fig. 21. Old fruit spur of pear. 

 CAdaptedfrom Bailey's "Prun- 

 ing Book.") 



