No. 4.] THE CULTURE OF THE PEAR. 305 



Excepting the Bartlctt, the Keiffer is planted more than any otlicr 

 variety. The tree is hardy and vigorous iu growth. The fruit is al- 

 ways hard, and ships well. Its color is attractive when fully matured, 

 being yellow, covered mostly with red. As a dessert pear it is abso- 

 lutely worthless. It is sold from the fruit stands in large quantities 

 late in the autumn and winter, when other varieties are mostly gone; 

 but it is most disappointing to purchasers, who are deceived by its 

 very attractive appearance. Its chief value is for canning, for which 

 it is used to an enormous extent. It is excellent in flavor when 

 canned, its only defect being in a coarse, gritty core. Although the 

 Keiffer sells for a less price than most other varieties, it has proved 

 profitable to commercial planters. 



Dwarf Trees. 



The cultivation of dwarf trees has not been very extensive in our 

 country. There are but few commercial orchards of dwarf trees that 

 have been a success. But few varieties seem to make a good union 

 upon the Angers quince, which is used' for dwarfing the pear. The 

 Angouleme seems to be the best of the leading varieties for this pur- 

 pose. The Angers quince is used for dwarfing pears because it is 

 of slow-growing habit, and when the pear is budded upon its roots 

 it also is slower of growth and becomes dwarfed in size. Quince 

 cuttings about 7 inches long are planted in the soil, which root readily. 

 In the summer these are budded with the pear buds, which grow and 

 make the dwarf trees. 



One of the reasons why dwarf pear culture has not been more 

 generally adopted is because some of the best commercial varieties 

 do not grow well on the quince root, but are more profitable when 

 grown on standard trees. The standards require less pruning than 

 dwarfs, and will do well with less cultivation; hence the dwarfs have 

 been confined more largely to gardens where a few trees only are 

 planted. Where the soil is rightly adapted and the higher care and 

 culture required by dwarf trees is given, they are profitable, as has 

 been demonstrated in some instances. 



The Angouleme is especially well adapted to dwarfing. It is a large 

 pear, yellow in color, somewhat coarse in its flesh, but of excellent 

 flavor. The tree makes strong growth, and is the best of all varieties 

 for dwarf culture. It is much better as a dwarf than a standard. 



The Anjou makes a good dwarf tree, but the fruit, growing to large 

 size, drops heavily before the time for picking, and for this reason it 

 is not profitable for commercial growing as a dwarf. The dropping 

 of the fruit is a defect of the Anjou in either the standard or the dwarf 

 trees. 



The Seckel makes a good tree as a dwarf, and it is well to have it 

 in a garden collection. It is better to be double-worked, budding it 

 upon another variety. This is done by putting buds of the Seckel 



