The Canadian Horticultukist. 



4' 



PEARS, VARIETIES AND CULTIVATION. 



8iK, — Kindly give me the names of a few varietiea of pears likely to do well iu this 

 part, for fall and winter. Pears, as a rule, do not succeed very well here. Mine usually 

 take the blight as soon as they begin to bear, and, with some, the Flemish Beauty cracks 

 badly. Still, I think I shall try that variety. Clapp's Favorite seems to do pretty well 

 about here. The worst difficulty we have to contend with is the blight. The ground is a 

 well drained, rich, clay loam. I sliall also be glad of a little information upon the general 

 cultivation of the pear. 



A. J. Collins, LUloicel, Out. 



HE questions asked by our correspondent are somewhat vague. 

 Most of the varieties which grow in the Niagara district should 

 succeed in the County of Perth, but which of them would 

 _ fail in that section, we are scarcely prepared to say. This will 



be more fully taken up by our Association in a future report in which we hope 

 to give a list of the pears adapted to the various sections of Ontario, similar to 

 the one already prepared on apples. 



Of course, it is generally known that the Flemish Beauty is one of our hardiest 

 pears, and there are some of the Russian varieties which succeed well in very 

 cold districts ; but, as our correspondent says, the Flemish Beauty is badly 

 subject to the blight and the scab, which almost rules it out of any collection in 

 places where other varieties will succeed. 



South of Lake Ontario the following list embraces most of the best varieties 

 for home use and market : Doyenne d'Ete, Beurre (iiffard, Osband's Summer. 

 Tyson, Clapp's Favorite, Bartlett, Buffum, Beurre d' Anjou {d), Louise (d). 

 Duchess (d), Howell, Sheldon, Doyenne Boussock, Lawrence, Winter Nelis and 

 Josephine de Malines. 



With regard to the cultivation of the {)ear, it differs very little from that of 

 the apple. A good loamy soil, with a dry sub-soil, not too rich, is found to 

 favor the health and longevity of the pear tree. It adapts itself to a variety of 

 soils, and will succeed even upon sand, but the trees are not so healthy, nor so 

 fruitful, as upon a soil of a heavier texture, neither is the fruit of as good a 

 quality. We usually {)lant our standard pear trees a little closer in the rows than 

 the rows are themselves apart from each other; for instance, the rows might be 

 twenty feet apart and the trees ten or fifteen feet apart in the rows. If one 

 desires them to be in more regular form, they would succeed very well at a 

 distance of fifteen feet each way. Some of the larger growing varieties, however, 

 would be better planted twenty feet apart ; while the dwarfs may be planted ten 

 or twelve feet apart. 



Seeding the pear orchard down to grass is often advised, but we should not 

 consider this advisable for any length of time, at least, not unless the ground is 

 well mulched with ashes, or some other manure, to keep the ground moist and 



Those marked " d " arc better grown us dwarf.s. 



