112 The Cultivation of the Pear. 



Mr. Breck stated that he mixed them with ashes, and ap- 

 plied two or three quarts to each tree. He had scattered it 

 in the trenches when transplanted trees had been set out 

 in nursery rows, and had found that trees set out in sprinjr 

 were full of fibrous roots in the foil, and many of them at- 

 tached to the particles of bones. His mode of preparing was 

 as follows : — 



Five barrels of fine bones, the refuse of comb factories, 

 were used to a carboy of sulphuric acid, say 175 lbs. The 

 bones were turned out upon the ground and well moistened 

 with water ; they were then heaped into a cone, and a basin 

 made in the top ; into this basin the sulphuric acid was 

 poured, diluted with one half of water. The heap was well 

 stirred up with a long pole ; it effervesced, boiled up, and 

 became very hot : more diluted acid was added, and the 

 whole left in a conical heap. In a day or two it was opened, 

 and found to be a kind of paste ; to apply this readily, it was 

 mixed with dry ashes and sand, in sufficient quantity to ren- 

 der it convenient for use. 



To a question, Mr. Breck said the cost of the bones wa? 

 $10, and the acid, $5. 



Here a general discussion ensued between Messrs. Breck, 

 C. M. Hovey, and other members, relative to the value of 

 lime for the pear: but it seemed from the facts elicited that 

 no apparent benefit had resulted from its use. 



Mr. French said that he was surprised to see what results 

 had been obtained from the growth of the pear on light soils. 

 Some years since, he was in Plymouth, Mass., and could not 

 but be surprised at what he there saw. Where the soil is ot 

 a light drift sand like that at Plymouth, or of the nature of 

 that on Cape Cod, at New Bedford, and Marblehcad, the trees 

 flourish exceedingly well, and very fine fruit was obtained.* 



A year or two ago, he was at Troy, N. Y., and, by the kind 

 invitation of Mr. Vail, visited his garden. He was surprised to 

 see such fine fruit and thrifty trees : asked him how he suc- 



* This would rather seem to militate against the views of the late Mr. 

 Downing, who said the pear could not be raised on the light sandy soils on 

 the sea shore. — Ed. 



