Root-pruning Pear Trees. 283 



their shoots shortened in summer, so as to form round and 

 compact heads. To make all these fruitful, and to occupy- 

 as small a space as possible in the garden, tliey must be 

 biennially, or in some rich soils even annually, root-pruned, 



A valuable auxiliary to precocious fruitfulness in pears 

 is the quince stock. Pears grafted on the quince may be 

 safely recommended for all rich moist soils ; the quince is 

 almost an aquatic tree, and pears seem to flourish on it even 

 in soils excessively cold and wet; but even for light and 

 sandy soils, I am induced to recommend it ; only when 

 planted in such soils the trees must have more care and 

 higher cultivation. In such soils I should recommend the 

 surface of the soil round the tree to be covered during June, 

 July and August with short grass, moss, or manure, and 

 to give them once a week, in dry weather, a drenching 

 with guano water, about two pounds to six gallons, which 

 must be well stirred before it is used, each tree should have 

 twelve gallons poured gradually into the soil ; by this 

 method the finest fruit may be produced ; and, as it is very 

 probable that ere many years elapse, we shall have exhibi- 

 tions of pears, this will be the mode to procure fine speci- 

 mens to show for prizes. Our oldest gardening authors have 

 said, that "pears engrafted on the quince stock give the 

 fairest fruit ; " and they are correct. It has been asserted 

 that the fruit is liable to be gritty and deficient in flavor; I 

 can only say that this season (1843), from my trees grow- 

 ing on a cold clayey soil, I have tasted fruit of Marie Louise, 

 Louise bonne of Jersey, and others, all that could be wished 

 for in size and flavor ; this, in part, I impute to the season 

 having been so moist ; it, therefore, points out the necessity 

 of keeping the trees, even in cold soils, mulched on the sur- 

 face and well watered in dry, hot seasons. 



I may now be permitted to point out selections of pears 

 for different situations. I will commence with those adapted 

 for pyramidal trees and quenouilles on quince stocks. These 

 may be planted in rows, six feet apart, or a square may be 

 allotted to them, giving each plant six feet, which will be 

 found amply sufficient for garden culture, viz., for root- 

 pruned trees. Some few esteemed sorts of pears do not 

 grow well on quince stocks, unless ' double worked,' viz. • 

 some free growing sorts are budded on the quince, and 

 after having been suftered to grov/ one or two seasons, those 

 not so free growing are budded on them. As plants of these 



