26o THE CULTIVATION OF THE 



ninety thousand pear trees have died, from various 

 causes ; at this rate there may still be one hundred and 

 forty to fifty thousand pear trees still living. Certainly 

 such mortality shows the pear to be a tree requiring 

 great and extraordinary attention. The pear is a 

 regular bearer ; fails, I should say, not oftenerthan once 

 in ten years, and, with extra care, even this off-year 

 may prove fruitful. The Peninsula pear crop may now 

 reach, as a yearly average, seventy five tliousand 

 baskets, but, like all my statistics, this is conjecture, for 

 I can get no date ; not even from the Census Bureau at 

 Washington. 



As to the cultivation of the pear orchard, when 

 determined not to keep it in sod, plough not over four 

 inches, in the middle of the rows, and throw a furrow to 

 the trees. After a day or two plough again, very shallow, 

 and throw the furrows back to the trees. Now harrow, 

 and then keep the cultivators going not over two 

 inches deep, until the fruit, bending the limbs down, 

 interferes with the progress of the horses. This will be 

 from the 20th of June to the ist of July. Some plough 

 in the fall, saying it destroys the pests preying on the 

 trees, and prevents them from coming next year. It, 

 probably, don't destroy many such and makes the growth 

 of new wood too succulent, which may be likely to 

 blight next year. This same trouble comes, I feel 

 assured, by fall fertilizing too, especially with green 



