The Ciiltivalion of the Pear. 157 



Mr. W. E. Carter thought salt was in no way beneficial. 

 In England, where he Avas brought up, it was scarcely- 

 thought worth carting away, and he would not advise its use. 



Mulching was excellent for all kinds of trees, but carried 

 to excess it was extremely injurious. He knew pear trees, 

 now two hundred years old, which had never been mulched, 

 and they were yet doing well. He also knew of an orchard 

 set out a few years ago, all the trees of which had been well 

 mulched and carefully treated, and the trees were now actu- 

 ally mortifying. He thought the work was overdone. He 

 was much prejudiced against tan, and did not believe it good 

 for anything. Some years ago, when he was apprentice at 

 Derby Hall, the head gardener had a border which he wished 

 to renovate. There was a large heap of old tan, (oak bark 

 tan,) which had been carried from the framing ground and 

 laid till it was well decayed ; this he thought would be just 

 the thing ; a foot thick of it was applied to the border, and 

 the whole well mixed with the soil and trenched, and while 

 he remained there, for some years, nothing ever grew and 

 flourished Avell upon it. 



Mr. Cabot wished to inquire as to the best time to prune ; 

 he did not think it of much importance as regards young 

 trees, as he found the wounds healed the first season. As 

 regards large limbs, there might be some season better than 

 others — he had cut off large limbs early in the spring, and 

 covered them over, but found they rotted. He would there- 

 fore inquire of gentlemen at what season they thought it best 

 to prune. 



Mr. Haggerston thought any time would answer when 

 the sap was not in motion. 



Mr. Hovey preferred the month of May or June for cutting 

 off large limbs ; he thought the wounds healed over better 

 than when done too early ; he had not, however, had expe- 

 rience enough with old trees to give any decided opinion as 

 regards the choice of seasons. 



Some further discussion took place, when the meeting ad- 

 journed one fortnight to March 5th. 



