240 THE CULTIVATION OF THE 



beautiful of Pear trees. Rather a slow grower v/hen 

 young, and late coming in, but after it does come in, it 

 bears large and regular crops. It must be regularly and 

 thoroughly tilled and fertilized if we want fine specimens. 

 In }'ards, isolated trees do well in grass, if they have a 

 moist, rich soil, but in the field they need high culture. 



Kieffer. — This pear has made a sensation in the 

 pear world ; has been sent out by interested growers 

 with a great flourish, as blight-proof, and the finest 

 looking, most elegant, most luscious pear the light of sun 

 ever shone upon. It should, according to Parry, be 

 spelled " Kieffer," and then according to German rules 

 should be pronounced Key-fer. Thomas spells it Keiffer 

 and then it should be pronounced Ky-fer. I believe the 

 originator spells his name as Parry has given it, and I 

 call the pear Key-fer. Fruit large, oval, swollen out in 

 the middle, and contracting to a conical shape at each 

 end. When ripe, is a beautiful yellow, and with a lovely 

 blush of red towards the sun. Really a very handsome 

 pear. Flesh coarse, as a rule, in some specimens, fine, 

 and the best of them are only poor as an eating pear. 

 Ripens late in the Autumn. Tree a very, very vigorous 

 grower and bears large crops when very young. At 

 four years' old my largest standards picked a basket to 

 the tree. Now as to the uses of this pear. It is beauti- 

 ful for decorative purposes, and, I have no doubt, will do 

 well to can and to evaporate, too. As to its eating qual- 



