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no manure in contact with the roots, and mulch, especially 

 during the first season, with coarse straw, salt hay, or corn 

 stalks ; this will keep the soil cool and moist round them, and 

 prevent injury from drouths in dry seasons. The proper dis- 

 tance apart for pear trees in orchards is about twenty feet each 

 way, but this distance cannot be well adopted in small gardens. 

 We very often see one tree growing under the shade of another, 

 but the result is, tall, straggling skeletons, without shape 

 or form and as a rule unproductive. In cases of this kind it is 

 better that one tree should occupy the whole space taken up by 

 two, as the yield thereby would be improved in quantity and 

 quality, to say nothing of the general welfare of the tree. In 

 all cases give them plenty of room, good deep, dry soil, clean 

 culture, severe pruning, and success will be the reward. We 

 very often hear some persons recommend, when planting trees, 

 to fill up the bottom of the holes with old shoes, glass bottles, 

 pieces of scrap iron, tin cans, old crockery, and any kind of 

 rubbish, but for what purpose we have yet to learn. It may be 

 safely said that none of these articles named contain any plant 

 food, and furthermore we believe that such rubbish would 

 greatly interfere with the roots taking a firm hold in the soil. 

 This rubbish must work up towards the surface by the action 

 of the frost, the same as stones, which would be a great nui- 

 sance in a garden until removed. 



We wish to offer a few remarks on the so-called fire-blight, 

 the most dangerous disease that the pear tree is heir to, but 

 whether it is caused by the sudden changes of the atmosphere, 

 imperfect drainage, or heavy manuring remains, in a measure, 

 to be proved. 



The disease makes its appearance at different periods, some- 

 times in early Spring before the trees put out, and through 

 June and July, long after the leaves are out, attacking the 

 branches first. We believe that heavy manuring has every- 

 thing to do with this disease, as stimulating the soil too highly 

 with rich manure forces immature growth, which cannot stand 

 the changes of our climate without injury. Mr. Richard 



