the blight. Therefore the most careful Pear growers use 

 sparingly of stable manure and of nitrogenous cover- 

 crops. They prefer to supply fertility by means of con- 

 centrated fertilizers which are not very rich in nitrogen. 

 If, however, the trees are 

 not making a strong and 

 steady growth, it is as nec- 

 essary to apply nitrogenous 

 fertilizers to the Pear tree 

 as til any other. In the in- 

 terior country. Pears are 

 likely to suffer from sun- 

 scalil, and therefore the tops 

 are started very low, usually 

 not more than two or three 

 feet from the gronml. Staml- 

 ard Pears are pruned nuicli 



not so severely. Heavy 

 pruning tends to open the 

 top and to invite sun-scald, 

 and it also tends to make 

 too strong and sappy growth. 

 After the top of the Pear 

 tree is well formed and es- 

 tablished, it is customary to 

 do little pruning, only keep- 

 ing the top fairly free and 

 open. The Pear bears on 



spurs which continue to branch and to bear for a number 

 of years, and in pruning it is important that these spurs 

 be not removed unless it is desired to thin the fruit. 

 The flowers are borne in umbel-like cymes (Fig. 1684), 

 but m most cases only one fruit sets in a cluster. Pear 

 trees are usually planted much closer than apple trees. 

 The customary distance is Ih-iO fttt. Fig. IGhG show-, 

 an average east-American Pi ir ui, li nd 



Many of the varieties ot 1' u- ii. int. i til. with tli. m 

 selves: they need the poll, n . t ili. i \ n i. ii. -- in . i !. i 



682. Section of the Kieffer 

 Pear, to show its ordinary 

 form in the North. 



alternate with one . 



. rows of 



I .....(1 \ It 1. tu s of Pears are numerous. The one most 

 iiiip.irtaiit \.iriet\ is the Bartlett (Fig. 10851, which was 

 early introduted' mto the United States from Europe, 

 \\here it is known as the Boncbretien. At the 

 present tnai the Kietft i ]>i..inbh holds sec- 

 ond pi 1 ; il t ~ the Seckel 

 (Fig li '\ and is the 

 st.vnd II I 11 mint varie- 

 ties ai. , I - ' 1-. m. Hard\, 

 HowlU. -I .1 .. li. a 1 . Du 1. ilic list might 

 be almost ludehmttlj txttnded. In the Gulf 

 region the oriental h\brids alone are success 

 ful, and the leaders are Kieffer, LeConte, 

 Garber, and Smith. The season of the ma- 

 turity of Pears runs from midsummer, when 

 it is introduced by Summer Doyenne and 

 Manning Elizabeth, to late winter, when it is 

 closed with su.-h late winter varieties as Nelis. 



The 



Pear 



latet 



Winter Pears are kept as winter apples are, 

 although somewhat greater care is necessary. 

 They should be kept in a uniformly cool 

 temperature. If allowed to hang too long on 

 the trie, they become over-ripe; and then if 

 placed in an ordinarily wanu cellar, they do 

 not keep more than one or two months. Un- 

 like most other fruits, all Pears are greatly improved in 

 quality if thev ar.- ripiii..! iii.I.iors. Thev should he 

 picked as .sooii as tin v li:n .• v. a. lied their full size and 

 have begun to c..l..r, l.iit I., f..r.- they have become soft, 

 and be placed in a .Iry ami rath, r cool room. If the wind 



PEAR 1243 



is allowed to blow over them, they are likely to shrivel. 

 If kept too warm, they ripen too quickly and soon rot. 

 The best quality is secured when they are picked about 

 two weeks in advance of their normal ripening. 



When worked on the quince root, the Pear is easily 

 grown as a dwarf. It then comes into hearing ear- 

 lier, and, since the trees are small, the fruit can be 

 thinned and the trees sprayed, and the fruit therefore 

 should be of the highest qualit} . Dwarf Pear trees re- 

 quire mule care than the <irdinarj standards, howe\er, 



ulaul 



1 . I i I 1 irf Pear tree should ne^e^ 



!. I h I _ n twehe feet. In order to 



k. . 1' It .1 M I 1 I troni one-half to two thirds 



ot the annuil „'i..«th is unnned late each winter. The 

 trees are otten planted as close together as ten feet each 

 way, but this is too close. With the ordinary broad top 

 pruning, whiih nearly all American growers give, one 

 rod apuit eaih way is not too great. A good dwarf 

 Pear tree is one in which the union with the quince 

 stock is very close to the ground. When the tree is 

 planted, this'union should be from fourto six inches be- 

 low the surface after the ground has settled. This deep 

 planting prevents the breaking of the union and places 

 the quince beyond the reach of borers. If planted 

 deeper than this, the Pear cion may throw out roots of 

 its own; in fact, it sometimes does this if planted only 

 six inches deep. This rooting of the stock is no par- 

 ticular disadvantage, although the tree thereafter tends 

 to grow stronger and greater pruning is necessary. An 

 expeit grower can pick out the trees whnli .irt r.n.ttd 

 Pear stock by their 



ties popular for dwarfs are lionise Bonne, Anjou, Clair- 

 geau, Manning Elizabeth, and. to a less extent. Bartlett 

 and Seckel. The Kieffer is now and then grown on 

 dwarf stock with very good results. 



The insect enemies of the Pear are numerous, but, 



