560 [Assembly 



Thus they can reach the fruit from almost every part of the tree 

 standing on the ground. They make long rows and avenues of 

 such trees which are often seen in the best gardens of France ; it 

 gives them a beautiful appearance, especially when full of blos- 

 soms, or loaded with the richest and choicest fruit. The French 

 take more pains in cultivating the pear than the apple or peach, 

 hence we presume it must be a greater favorite with them than 

 either of the latter. Tlie French horticulturists procure, at al- 

 most any cost and labor, the best kinds from their neighbors the 

 Flemings, Belgians and Germans, all of whom are famous for 

 their pears, especially the Flemings. These the French culti- 

 vate either as seedlings or by grafting, and often by their skill 

 make them exceed in quality the original stocks. The English 

 have very fine pears — their moist cool climate and Ftiff soil suit 

 the pear ; with proper care and tillage, the English, perhaps, in 

 the quality and abundance of pears, are equal^ to any of their 

 neighbors of the continent ; their perry -will certainly compare 

 with any of them as a healthy, palatable beverage- Some of the 

 best English orchardists complain of late that their pears have 

 declined within a few years in quantity and quality : in. some 

 cases the pear does not live to the great age it formerly did, it is 

 subject to a blight which fqnie ascribe to insects and others to 

 different causes, which do not appear as yet to be satisfactorily 

 accounted for. The apple and some other trees are afflicted in 

 a similar way, that is to cause an earlier decline and death, as 

 well as degeneracy of fruit. A few eminent English pomologists 

 as writers and practical men on the subject, think it may be ow- 

 ing to too much pruning and cutting of the tree, for various pur- 

 poses and in various ways j to prune by lopping off dead limbs 

 and useless sprouts and suckers that draw nourishment from the 

 main body and such parts and limbs as may produce fruit, is cor- 

 rect. Some though cut off large limbs, and when they are as vi- 

 gorous as any part of the tree, and at a period when the tree is 

 advanced in agc^ this is often done to improve its shape and 

 form, and to give a more rapid and abundant circulation of sap 

 to the remaining parts, and make them produce more and better 

 fruit ; the tree is often thrown into a decline by it and dies. 

 Health and life are here sacrificed to beauty and too eager a de- 



