114 The Cultivation of the Pear. 



pears. They had purchased their trees at auction^ or procured 

 such as were bark bound, stunted, or diseased, and then won- 

 dered why their trees did not grow and bear. If good 

 healthy trees were selected, there would be few complaints 

 of this kind. Persons who would buy poor trees, had no 

 one to find fault with but themselves. 



Mr. Stickney had found mulching very valuable, and of 

 great advantage ; he had used coarse strawy litter, pretty loell 

 soaked with the drippings of the stable. He had used bone 

 black, from the sugar refiners, as a top dressing, and had 

 found it beneficial ; but it should be used very cautiously, 

 and allowed to lie a long time exposed to the air before ap- 

 plying it to the trees. 



Mr. Stickney's remarks were full of sound advice, and we 

 regret that our report is so meagre an account of what he said. 



Second Session. Saturday, January 29. 



The Pkesident. Some remarks have been called for in 

 regard to heading in pear trees. So far as his experience 

 was concerned, he thought it best to head in. Trees newly 

 set should be headed in, say one half to two thirds the pre- 

 vious year's growth. Trees set out in the streets of Paris, 

 he was told, were headed in to nearly bare poles. 



Mr. Breck said he had remarked that trees headed in had 

 done better than those not pruned. He had noticed this in 

 street trees, where they had been pruned to bare poles and 

 had done well. Pear trees might do better in light soil, such 

 as Mr. French had alluded to at Plymouth, than in a heavier 

 one ; but he thought some, persons might make a mistake, if 

 they should plant their trees in any sandy soil without know- 

 ing of what it is composed. It would not answer in all light 

 soils. 



Mr. C. M. Hovey objected to the general system of head- 

 ing in trees indiscriminately, as was a common practice, 

 without regard to the state of the roots and other conditions 

 of the tree, and should take occasion to enlarge upon the 

 subject, if gentlemen contended that the practice should 

 apply to all transplanted trees. 



