ORCHARDS. 39 



purchase a pear tree luhich did not make a good g-roivth the pre- 

 ceding season. This is a most important rule, but one rarely 

 observed by purchasers of trees. Most people who have not had 

 experience in the culture of pear trees select large trees, with 

 but little regard to the time they have been growing, or to their 

 health and vigor, as shown by their recent growth. If trees 

 that made but little growth the past season are selected, the 

 probability is that, with the best culture, they cannot be forced 

 to a vigorous growth for years, if indeed they ever can be. 



These directions are of the greatest importance to be observed, 

 and of course require that trees should be carefully examined 

 before they are purchased. Many persons contract with agents 

 of nurseries at a distance for their trees, and leave to them the 

 selection. If these agents, or their principals, are honest, and 

 furnish from the average growth of the nurseries, a large portion 

 will be unsuitable to plant, as in the best pear nurseries in this 

 country a considerable portion of the trees are deficient in the 

 requisites above stated ; and if dishonest, as is not unfrequently 

 the case, only refuse trees of stinted growth will be furnished, 

 which will not be worth the trouble and expense of planting. 

 Any one who desires good trees, that will grow and be produc- 

 tive, should carefully examine them before purchasing, or employ 

 some suitable person to do it for him. 



Trees on the pear root should have no limbs nearer than four 

 or five feet to the ground. Those on the quince root should be 

 trained with shoots from the stock as near the ground as possi- 

 ble, as it is desirable they should be grown in the pyramidal 

 form, both for productiveness, and to prevent their being blown 

 out of the ground by high winds. 



Selection of Varieties. 



Persons without experience in the cultivation of the pear, are 

 perplexed by the large number of different varieties recom- 

 mended in the books and by pear growers. Even men of large 

 experience differ in opinion respecting some varieties, and it is 

 also true that soil, position, and climate, materially affect the 

 character of many kinds of this fruit. In selecting from the 

 large list recommended, regard should be had to the character 

 of the fruit, the time of ripening, that a succession of fruit may 



