PROCEEDINGS OF THE HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 721 



brandies of tlic tree to obedience to artistic laws. And obedience to this 

 law oftentimes seems to him to be so in harmony with those which regulate 

 the How of the sap, the development, formation and ripening of the fruit 

 itself, that he is led to re^-ard them as synchronous in their action. The 

 artistic law forbids superfluous growth; superfluous growth sadly wars 

 ■with the fruiting process. An excess in the quantity of the crop borne by 

 its enormous weiglit, disturbs the harmony of relation of limb to limb, and 

 limb to trunk; they become too pendulous and often break under their 

 burden, thus sadly marring the beautiful structure which he has carefully 

 roared. The excess of crop furbids growth, dwarfs the fruit, detracts from 

 its wonted flavor, offends the eye and damages the purse. Thus he is most 

 impressively taught to recognize the artistic and the useful as companions, 

 if not as twin sisters. And he growingly loves the beautiful for he recog- 

 nizes it in the order of the useful. 



And now, as our walk in the orchard is about ended, and our talk is 

 drawing to a close, we may, though seemingly a teacher, be pardoned for 

 saying, that on the subject that has engrossed our tlioughts, we can 

 scarcely be said to have acquired a rudimentary knowledge. The science 

 of horticulture is still in its infancy, whil5 that of pear culture is yet far 

 from being developed into even the form of a science. Though pear culture 

 dates back to the earliest days of Rome, the pear of the earlier centuries 

 is not adapted to the palate of the present day. Indeed, not until within 

 tlie last seventy or eighty years has cultivation developed the delicious 

 qualities which we now recognize as belonging to this most attractive 

 fruit; and so little are these qualities known, even in our day to the great 

 mass of the people, that the multitudes maybe said to be still unacquainted 

 with the pear. And not until the laws that govern its growth are better 

 known by those who may be regarded as the leaders in this branch of hor- 

 ticulture, and that knowledge so universally diffused that the culture of the 

 pear may be generally understood by terraculturists, will the millions know 

 anything of the deliciousness of this fruit. Neither can they know it until 

 its cultivation shall become so general tliat it is brought within their reach. 



Choice pears commanded in this city from twelve to fifteen dollars per 

 bushel for a period of at least two months last season, and this price was 

 readily obtained for them in "Washington market. If well grown from 

 seventy-five to one hundred pears would constitute the number, all told, 

 making the bushel. At such a price choice pears are beyond the reach of 

 the multitude, neither will they know, and not knowing cannot appreciate 

 the excellencies of this fruit. The Bartlett most unfortunately for the ad- 

 vancement of science, and most fortunately too, for pear culture, regarding 

 it as a John the Baptist, a forerunner in the work; has such a combination 

 of characteristic excellencies, that it produces good fruit anywhere, and 

 everywhere in our country ; in all climates and in all soils, with all kinds 

 of culture and with no culture at all, provided the tree be only stuck in 

 the ground, and it does this too almost as this work is done ; as though 

 Providence designed it to be a pioneer, stimulating and leading on or invit- 

 ing to diligence, in extending our energies in this direction in horticulture. 



The millions may now be said to know the Bartlett, on account of these 



[Am. I.vst.] T* 



