240 [Assembly 



some other kinds of pears in a less degree. In an old variety of pear, 

 designated in some parts of Connecticut as the pound pear, in others 

 as the bell pear — not a baking pear, but a rich, sweet, fall eating 

 pear — the same affection lessens its productiveness, causing its fruit 

 to be less than half its former size, and more or less covered with 

 dark spots, and sometimes it cracks. Other varieties grafted into this 

 tree have done well and produced fair fruit. 



It has been asserted by some cultivators, that the cracking of the 

 fruit of the white Doyenne pear might easily be remedied by enrich- 

 ing and good cultivation. Having had some experience for a series 

 of years with a number of pear trees of this variety infested with this 

 malady, I would at this time only relate a statement of facts respect- 

 ing them. 



Some twenty years since I purchased of Wm. R. Prince, of Long 

 Island, a number of pear trees. They, after a series of years, came 

 into bearing, and all but one proved to be the White Doyenne. For 

 the first few years they bore edible fruit, but in a few more years they 

 became in so extraordinary a degree infested w\th cracks and fissures, 

 and so stinted in size as to be good for nothing. Supposing the evil 

 might be owing to some defect in the variety, I obtained of Mr. E. 

 Averill, of Hartford, Conn., some scions of some trees which then 

 bore remarkably fair White Doyenne pears, which scions I en- 

 grafted into one of the trees above mentioned ; the grafts did well 

 and bore fruit at first pretty fair, but in a few years w'ere affected with 

 cracks like the rest ; and it was afterwards cut off and engrafted with 

 some other variety, which has since bore fair fruit. The other Doy- 

 enne trees here alluded to I likewise had topped and engrafted with 

 other kinds, as the Golden Beurre, Bartlett, &c.,&c., and all of them 

 have borne beautiful large fair fruit, having no cracks, and the grafts 

 having as vigorous growths as any trees on my grounds. 



I would observe, that two of these trees stood on the margin of an 

 asparagus bed, kept in good tilth by enriching every year. A small 

 lateral twig was noticed this year, accidentally left on one of these 

 trees, of the original Doyenne, but having cracked Doyenne pears on 

 it, and not any way improved, showing that cultivation will not cure 

 the affection. I would moreover observe, that the cracking of fruit 

 likewise extended to some apples in the vicinity of these trees, and 

 in one instance to some peaches. 



