PROPAGATION OF TREES AND PLANTS 193 



ever, use the root graft, tliougii this method cannot be 

 recommended for general use. 



Nursery Treatment — The best soil for the growth 

 of good trees in the nursery is a deep, moist loam, per- 

 haps a little cla3^ey, but thoroughly underdrained. The 

 seedlings are cared for and planted in the same manner 

 as the apple, but more attention must be given to them 

 that they do not cease growing from the time planted 

 until they are budded, for, if from want of plant food 

 or moisture they are checked in growth, the leaf blight 

 may attack them, the leaves fall, and budding cannot 

 be done. If it is found at any time in July that growth 

 is weak, some quick acting fertilizer should be scattered 

 in a furrow close up to the roots and be cultivated in. 

 Frequent cultivation must be kept up from the time the 

 seedlings are set out until budding is completed — once 

 a week is not too often — and in case of drouth more 

 frequent working of the soil will be advisable. The leaf 

 blight fungus, described in Chapter XXI, is more likely 

 to attack pear seedlings in hot, moist weather, in low 

 land, than upon that in full exposure to air and sunlight. 

 The preventive, other than that mentioned, is spraying 

 with the bordeaux as used in the orchard. 



The budding of the pear seedlings, cutting off of 

 the stock and the forming of the head is the same as 

 to time and method as for the apple, but it generally 

 requires one year longer to grow a first-class pear tree 

 than for the apple. 



Top-iuorhing-^—Soiae varieties produce a weak stock 

 or trunk, and to make good, upright, clean trees, must 

 be "top-worked." This consists in budding in summer, 

 or splice or tongue grafting in spring, on some strong 

 growing stock like Clapp or Flemish Beauty. In this 

 way a stout trunk is obtained much earlier than can 

 be produced on its own stock. Old trees of unprofitable 

 varieties may be grafted over as described for the apple. 



