m 



below which it would cease to be e remunerative, it certainly 

 does not appear that the orchardist need to entertain fears 

 that he is wasting his time or money in planting and culti- 

 vating such trees. Then again, to glance at the pear, a fruit 

 raised with much more difficulty than the apple it is true, 

 and correspondingly more valuable. With the exception of 

 some few of the inferior varieties, this fruit is almost out of 

 the reach of the majority of the people. Even the Bartlett, 

 a pear sustaining a similar relation to others as does the Bald- 

 win among apples, is by no means to be obtained at other- 

 wise than luxurious prices, notwithstanding that the demand 

 for it is very much diminished by the fact that its period of 

 maturity is shared by the peach, a very formidable rival, both 

 in its quality and price. 



But it may be said that among the millions of trees that 

 have been set within the last five or ten years, but a small 

 number have, as yet, produced fruit in any quantity, and that 

 until the majority of them began to bear fair crops, the effect 

 upon the market will, of course, be hardly felt. We are not, 

 however, of that class who indulge fears of this nature. We 

 are unable to believe that the better qualities of fruits will 

 ever be purchased, unless as an occasional exception, at prices 

 which will fail to handsomely remunerate the intelligent pro- 

 ducer for his outlay and trouble ; and we are strengthened in 

 this conviction while taking a survey, and learning the history 

 of a large portion of the trees which have been set within ten 

 years past. 



Trees have often been purchased of an irresponsible nur- 

 seryman, or perhaps some travelling agent who could tell a 

 very plausible story of the great value and cheapness of those 

 which he wished to sell. The varieties of which he had the 

 greatest stock on hand, were always those that he recommend- 

 ed as being particularly worthy of cultivation, even if he dif- 

 fered with all good judges, a fact of which his custom- 

 ers did not possess information. If the trees were raised 

 upon a poor soil, he would insist upon it that they were 



