ioo8 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Fig. 3. Horizontal Espalier of Pear : 

 Prune at /. 



Cordon Pear Trees. 



distance to allow between the main branches 

 is about 12 inches, a fact which must be 

 borne in mind when the central growth is 

 shortened. 



Those who have old horizontal Pears will 

 find that as a rule the finest fruit is borne 

 towards the extremities of the branches 

 where the growth is naturally younger. 

 This may be so pronounced in some cases 

 that nearly all the fruit is small and mis- 

 shapen. Here some good may be done by 

 gradually cutting away old branches and 

 replacing them by young ones (see Fig. 1). 

 In pruning young pyramidal Pears, the 

 shape in view should always be kept in mind, 

 and the growth in the centre allowed to take 

 the lead of its fellows by 6 inches or so each 

 year. Some varieties grow so naturally to 

 this form that their pruning is a simple 

 matter ; others, however, offer some difficulty. 

 Generally speaking Pear trees withstand 

 hard pruning better than Apples and bear 

 freely from spurs, those small sturdy side 

 shoots that form as a result of summer and 

 winter pruning. 



VARIETIES. Most of the varieties of Pears 

 commonly grown in gardens are those that 

 have been known for many years ; few 

 modern sorts excel the older ones. The 

 following form an excellent selection of 

 reliable " croppers " : Beurre d'Amanlis, a 

 fairly large, greenish-yellow fruit, juicy and 

 sweet, September ; Beurre Diel, a popular 

 variety, large, yellow, marked with brown, 

 October-November ; Beurre Hardy, a brown- 

 ish Pear, very juicy and sweet, a fruit for 

 every garden, October ; Beurre Superfin, a 

 distinct and attractive Pear, russet and 

 yellow, delicious, October-November ; Charles 

 Ernest, a heavy Pear of light greenish- 

 yellow colour, excellent flavour, November ; 

 Clapp's Favourite, a favourite early Pear, 

 yellow with reddish marks, fair flavour, 

 August - September ; Conference, a long, 

 somewhat thin, green Pear, of good flavour 

 and a remarkable cropper, October-Novem- 

 ber ; Dr. Jules Guyot, above the average 

 size, greenish-yellow, sweet and juicy, Sep- 

 tember ; Doyenne du Cornice, large, yellow, 

 with reddish marks, probably the finest 

 flavoured of all Pears, but not very reliable, 

 except in warm gardens, October-November ; 

 Durondeau, a distinct, long - stalked red- 



