252 THE CULTIVATION OF THE 



yellow. The sub-soil must be dry, and should not be 

 over forty feet to water. The pear will adapt itself to 

 almost any soil, but it won't thrive in all soils. Don't 

 plant your pears in a wet soil unless very thoroughly 

 surface-drained, and under-drained ; and a soil too deep 

 and rich may force the trees, give premature wood, and 

 this wood will not stand fruit-bearing. I should prefer 

 an unprotected northeastern exposure, or, really an 

 unprotected exposure all around, with the site as level 

 as possible to give good drainage. I believe an unpro- 

 tected pear orchard has the best chance for its bloom to 

 escape early spring frosts, on account of the backening 

 of the blossoms. Yet I believe this question of clear 

 exposure needs close study, as I have seen some 

 orchards do wonderfully well, and keep especially free 

 from blight, where they had been thoroughly protected 

 on all sides, except the southeast. Any one wishing to 

 protect an orchard can do it by peach trees twenty feet 

 apart, or by evergreens, or by osage orange, or more 

 profitably, perhaps, by the d'Amalis Pear planted as a 

 hedge four feet apart. The soil and aspect for the 

 orchard will be also suitable for the nursery soil. In cul- 

 tivating nursery stock they should not be forced too 

 much, and should not be manured by green manures, but 

 all fertilizers that are applied should have passed 

 through the fermenting stages. Water near the pear 

 orchard, I think an advantage, and especially fresh 



