172 HORTICULTURAL MANUAL. 



which is claimed to be the most congenial home of our 

 best pears, the famous old trees of our day are on such 

 soil, and in addition they have good air-drainage (97) to 

 lower levels. Also in east and west Europe the wild pears 

 that reach the size and height of their neighboring forest- 

 trees are on relatively high land with dry porous subsoil. 

 Yet we have some varieties, such as Besi de la Motte, 

 Mongolian snow, and Gibb, that do well on ordinary drift 

 soils of the West and on all soils where the apple thrives. 

 In high, airy positions, with light-colored soil, the fire- 

 blight (127) is also less damaging than on lower levels in 

 protected situations, and the same is true of all bacterial 

 diseases. 



The spacing, culture, spraying, and general management 

 are discussed in the chapters on orchard management and 

 spraying. 



176. The Fruit and its Care. To an extent not equalled 

 by any orchard fruit of the temperate zones, the pear is 

 grown mainly by specialists for marketing. In its com- 

 mercial growing the most favorable soils and climates are 

 selected and the management is under the care of skilled 

 growers. Near the Atlantic sea-coast and in the great 

 inland-lake region the pear is largely grown for market, 

 while over a large part of the Union its cultivation is on a 

 limited scale, mostly by amateurs who are willing to grow 

 varieties that have proven adapted to their locality. 



The fruit of most varieties needs careful hand-picking 

 while yet hard, and to be ripened under cover. If spread 

 upon shelves, or on the floor of a dry, cool room, and not 

 exposed to air-draughts, the fruit will slowly complete the 

 ripening process with an added tenderness and melting 

 quality not reached in open-air ripening on the tree. This 

 is true of the summer pears, but to a still greater extent 

 of the autumn and winter varieties. 



