CULTIVATION OF THE PEAR. 71 



perience and observation lead us to treat it under five heads, 

 namely, Soil, Situation, Planting, Culture and Varieties. 



The first is one of the greatest importance to successful 

 culture. The pear delights in a deep, rich, mellow and 

 somewhat moist 



SOIL, 



but will exist in a variety of soils, although it attains great- 

 est perfection in clayey loam. Even on stiff clays the trees 

 will grow and produce very satisfactorily, under the amelio- 

 rating influences of the preparation and culture which such 

 soils require. Draining first and subsoiling afterwards are 

 the chief requisites for gradual amelioration. In short, while 

 a water-soaked clay soil is the most utterly Avorthless of all 

 lauds for the growth of any crop, a properly drained and 

 aerated clay soil is by far the most valuable, and only re- 

 quires careful management to render it available for the best 

 productions of the orchard, farm or garden. The chief pre- 

 caution in managing a clay soil, is never to work on it while 

 wet, but only when it is dry to friability. Sandy soils, or 

 those of a gravelly character, are not well adapted to the pear. 

 In these soils, so variable in their degree of moisture, the 

 trees (especially the foreign varieties) ripen prematurely, and 

 drop their foliage early, if the weather proves dry towards 

 the end of summer ; then, in the event of moist weather 

 following a period of drought, a late secondary growth will 

 be produced, which, failing to mature, induces a tendency to 

 blight and disease. Surface-dressings of compost, thorough 

 cultivation or constant mulching, will counteract to some, ex- 

 tent the effects of uncongenial soil for the pear-roots. For 

 this soil we should recommend the dwarf-tree, as the roots 

 of the quince can be confined to a small area, which may be 

 prepared and maintained to meet all the requirements of 

 growth. Although we have many instances where some va- 

 rieties, such as the " BufFum" and "Louise Bonne de Jersey," 

 have succeeded finely on sandy loam, yet as a rule none of 

 our land is too good ; choose the best ; such land as would 

 raise heavy corn, grass or vegetables, — deep and rich. An 

 eminent pear-grower says ; " The best soil for a pear-orchard 

 is a dry, deep, substantial soil, between sandy and a clayey 

 loam, and possessing among its inorganic parts a consider- 



