PEACH AND THE PEAK. 24I 



ities, I see one good authority quoted as saying, it was 

 surpassed in lusciousness of flavor, or some such expres- 

 sion, by no pear he had ever eaten; nonsense; that 

 man's enthusiasm had run away with his judgment. It 

 will never sell on its merits as an eating pear, but I 

 believe it will be a profitable pear to raise in moderation, 

 on the Peninsula, in field-culture, both as Standard and 

 Dwarf. // is not blight-proof. I have seen the Kiefifer 

 blight ; and believe, as now propagated, it ivill blight, 

 and probably freely. 



It is supposed to be a hybrid from the Chinese sand 

 pear and Bartlett. The original tree is in the yard of 

 Peter Kieffer, Philadelphia, and was planted in the year 

 1868, and is, therefore, eighteen years old. I have no 

 doubt the trees propagated directly from Kiefifer's tree 

 may be blight-proof, for I have confidence in raising 

 blight-proof trees from healthy stock, but the Kieffer 

 pear trees now put out, budded or grafted on Seedlings 

 raised from seed of, we don't know what kind of pears, 

 are not blight-proof, nor is any other pear so propagated. 

 To check blight, we want to commence right here at the 

 seed, and sooner or later we must do it. They claim for 

 the Kieffer that it is a very strong and rapid growing 

 tree ; true. That it is the least liable to disease ; doubt- 

 ful. That it is best adapted to all climates and positions ; 

 this may be true. That it is the earliest bearer ; this 

 may be true. That it is the most productive ; this may 

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