with the Pear upon the Ajyjde.. 397 



by which a much greater proportion, in any given number, 

 can be made to grow and estabUsh themselves upon their own 

 roots than the foregoing experiments indicate. Whether this 

 is attainable or not, future trials must determine. I would 

 suggest, in order thereto, that the scions to be used should be 

 six to seven inches in length, and that, when planted in the 

 nursery, the top of the stock should be three to five inches 

 under the surface of the soil. 



Coshocton^ Ohio^ September^ 1846. 



Practical men will know how to appreciate the importance of 

 such real facts as are here communicated by Mr. Humrickhouse. 

 Such papers have a sterling value which commend them to 

 the attention of every intelligent cultivator. Of such a char- 

 acter should be more of the articles which are intended to con- 

 vey real information — facts — which form the basis of all sci- 

 ence. Mere theoretical essays and suggestions have their merit, 

 but they must often give way to the details of experience. We 

 are most happy to know that our few remarks have called 

 out the article of Mr. Humrickhouse. For, since the notice 

 of the splendid Seckel pears which have been produced on the 

 apple, has received the attention of cultivators, many have 

 been induced to try the experiment, and also to try the effect 

 of the apple stock upon other sorts of pears. The article of 

 our correspondent may be the means of preventing many from 

 entering largely into such practices, attended, as we think 

 they must be in the end, with decided failures. 



We need the same experience in relation to the pear upon 

 the quince ; for it is well known that many kinds succeed ad- 

 mirably, while others fail to grow. We ourselves have some 

 kinds of pears on the quince which are three years old, and 

 yet not twenty inches high. There are over four hundred va- 

 rieties of pears, and perhaps one half of them will not grow 

 freely on the quince. The experiments are therefore needed to 

 show what kinds these are. European authors have given 

 us much information on the subject ; but the vast number of 

 new sorts, of recent introduction, as well as the great and 

 constantly increasing number of superior American pears, ren- 

 der their information only of comparative value. Wc have 

 yet much to learn. We may soon add something to the stock 



