TEAR 



our fruit from the orchard, baskets holding % bushel, and 

 cart into packing house on low wagons, the platform of 

 which is made of 2-ineh hemlock plank 18 feet long and 

 hung as low as will permit a 2-foot front wheel to turn 

 under; being low it is very convenient to load from the 

 ground. A man can readily load 70 to 80 baskets with- 

 out getting on the wagon, and the packing house floor 

 is about the same height as the low wagon for conven- 

 ience of unloading and reloading on other wagons for 

 carting to markets. John S. Collins. 



PEAR 



1251 



DwAKF Peaks. — Dwarf Pear trees are produced by 

 budding the Pear-wood upon the BVench quince. The 

 point of union should be so low that, when the young 

 trees are transplanted into the orchard, this point will 

 be 3 or 4 inches below the surface of the ground. The 

 quince, being naturally of a slower growth than the 

 Pear, will, by the moi.s'ture of the ground and its protec- 

 tion from the drying effects of the atmosphere, be kept 

 more nearly equal to the size of the Pear. As the tree 

 becomes older the Pear will throw out Pear roots at the 

 union, which will give increased vigor and strength to 

 the tree in its years of maturity when producing heavy 

 crops of fruit. 



The soil best adapted to dwarf Pears is a rich loam, 

 with a subsoil which requires thorough underdraining— 

 a tile drain within 5 feet of every tree in the orchard 

 would be thorough draining. The soil should be good 

 strong corn or potato ground, and kept in such condi- 

 tion of fertility from year to year, for which purpose 

 good well composted, barn>iid ramure his no et^u il 

 butmay be supplemented b\ other fertilizeis — as grouii 1 

 bone and potash Small crops as beans and potatc i s 

 may be grown between the trees the first few \eiis ttttr 

 plantmg but ne\er should thev be allowed in the le ist 

 to interfere with thorough tillage, or to rob the trees of 

 proper and desirable nourishment The growth of the 

 tree is of far greater \alue than an^ firm crops which 

 can be grown betwirn the tires The s il shi ulil 1 

 thoroughly cultiv it 1 it I i t i \ i\ 10 i ] In Imii _ 

 the growing seasini Till il nt \n_ti i I i "-^ i i ml i I 

 It should cease in tun tl it il « I m \ lulh ii| i 

 Suitible cultnati n m h i IK I i\ ii with ii\ , | 

 on the ground, f \ | t ] il h w hi n suflicient sp-iee 



left without n 

 The trees shou 

 Tini.«s 20 f, 



irf P( 



« s 15 feet each v 

 « ith one tree m 

 become older 

 t 1 frequent cult 

 nl 1 a dwarf Pear 

 >■ clover for the i 



ng, which 

 falling of 

 the least 



may be done at any cMin .ni.nt tiin. 



the foliage and lirfi>rc tli.- ImhN he 



swollen in the spring; '"it ivliirr th.' (-..Id is severe it is 



better not to prune till about the first to middle of 



March. This pruning should begin with the first year, 



and be continued annually during the life of the tree, 



cutting back all of the new growth to within 4 to 8 buds, 



and thinning out all surplus branches which will not be 

 wanted for limbs to the tree, so that at maturity the 

 tree shall be open-headed, with opportunity for plenty 

 of air and sunshine all through the tree, without which 

 superior quality of fruit cannot be grown. The lower 

 limbs should be within 20 to 24 inches of the ground. 

 Trees when 20 to 50 years old should not be more than 

 12 to 14 feet high, and the diameter of the branches 

 about 12 to 16 feet. See Fig. 1691. It is a very errone- 

 ous impression that a dwarf Pear orchard under proper 

 conditions is short lived. There are in the United 

 States orchards in vigorous condition, and now produc- 

 ing annual crops, that are from thirty to flftv years 

 old. 



Some of the advantages of dwarf over standard Pears 

 are: more trees can be planted to the acre, they com- 

 mence bearing much younger, the fruit is not so liable 

 to be blown ott by early winds before maturity, it is 

 much more quickly and easily gathered than from high 

 trees, the fruit is larger and of better quality than that 

 on standards. All varieties do not succeed equally well 

 as dwarfs, because they do not all form an equally per- 

 fect union with the quince. Duchess is the leading and 

 most profitable variety now grown as dwarf, although 

 many others succeed well. l. t. Yeomans. 



Pears for Export. — Pears have not been grown for 

 the export trade to any large extent, but there is no good 

 reason for it. As France supplies the English market 

 with the finest Pears that are grown, the American 

 shipper needs to study the varieties, season, and extent 

 of the French supplies to avoid a difficult competition 

 which liiis t.. :«■ iiift ill seasons of full production. When 

 the I'lar fv\> li:is l»-i-n light on the continent, as often 

 occiir-i wr Ikivi- surci'ssfully exported the Louise Bonne, 

 Anjoii, H..S,-. ami Winter Nelis. Later varieties, as the 

 Easter and Josephine de Malines, with their very fine 

 quality, would meet with ready sale in foreign markets. 



As size and quality are important factors with Eng- 

 lish buyers. Pears for export should be grown upon 

 dwarf trees, that close pruning may be done, the fruit 

 judiciously thinned, and the much higher culture given 

 that the dwarf tree requires. 



The fruit should be gathered when it has reached its 

 most perfect development, but not allowed to come to 

 its full maturity, or approximate ripening. This is the 

 right condition of fruit when it is to be shipped without 

 refrigeration. With refrigeration, a little fuller maturity 

 may be allowed. Each specimen should be wrapped in 

 paper. A layer of excelsior should be placed on the bot- 

 tom of the box, which is marked to be opened; over this 

 place a sheet of paper. Pack the Pears in single layers. 



i^.4-'^^^l,M^ 



r 



covering each with paper and excelsior until the box is 

 filled, nailing cover securely under considerable pres- 

 sure. Boxes should hold 36 large Pears, and 00 of me- 

 dium size. Fig. 1692. This is a refinement of even the 

 best packing for the common domestic trade. Fig. 

 1693. The risk in exporting is in the lack of proper 

 facilities on steamers that are not fitted with refrigera- 

 tion. The fruit often becomes overheated and decays 



