59 



emi)tion from disease. One or two shovelfuls of fresh cow 

 manure applied to the trunk of the tree, wo have tried with 

 success against mice in winter. 



Change of soil by transplanting, accomplishes astonishing 

 results sometimes. AVc have known of a tree barren for 

 years taken up and transplanted a hundred feet, to soil dryer 

 and more gravelly, and producing fruit abundantly after- 

 wards. A Birtlctt pear tree, considered worthless, growing 

 in the border of a cold grapery, in rich deep garden soil, on 

 which the fruit, not much larger than an English walnut, 

 was black and badly cracked, was given to our Chairman by 

 Dr. Davidson, in Gloucester, to try the eifect of change of 

 soil. It was taken two miles away, and planted in a strong, 

 clayey, virgin soil, just broken up. The result was, that a 

 new vigorous life was imparted to the tree, and this season it 

 produced from two to three bushels of as line pears as any 

 one need desire. The first year that it fruited, after re- 

 moval, not a pear was cracked, all were of fair size, but a 

 large number were gnarly : they have improved in size and 

 quality every year since. The tree has grown to thrice its 

 original size, and is very prolific every year. 



The right kind of soil for the right kind of tree, will pro- 

 duce superior fruit on that tree, wherever located, although 

 protection from bleak winds adds greatly to the eifect of the 

 soil. We think the soil in and al)out Lawrence is of that 

 kind of soil for a number of varieties. 



George E. Taylor, of that city, who had a plate of line 

 Beurre Hardy pears in the Fair, says of his fruit, "Isold 

 my Bartletts before the Fair, Jifly of lohich filled a half 

 bushel. I had some very nice Duchesse, many iveighing six- 

 teen ounces apiece ; the trees are all standards, growing be- 

 tween houses, on low, sandy soil." Mrs. Benj. McAllister, 

 of same city, who had the finest Bartlett pears, and was 

 awarded the premium, states they were grown on a Standard 

 tree; that she "simply let them grow in the gai,xlen until 

 Fall, and then picked them." 



