The Canadian Horticulturist. 145 



A MICHIGAN PEAR-GROWER'S EXPERIENCE. 



::iJL - HE first mistake I made was in planting some varieties in which there 

 is no profit for me. The next was in not planting dwarfs deep 

 enough, nor keeping them headed back properly, and in earlier years^ 

 in not being prompt to cut out the blight. Another was in planting 

 varieties on soil not adapted to them. My experience and observa- 

 tion is, that there are but few varieties which, if planted on soil suit- 

 able for them will not be successful and profitable. Usually a strong, 

 clayey soil is best for pears, but there are a few varieties that do well on the 

 lighter soils, if kept well fed and cultivated. Of these there are the Bartlet t 

 Howell and Louise Bonne. It will not pay to plant Duchess, Anjou or Sheldon 

 on any but strong, fairly heavy soil. 



The ground should be well-fitted before planting, by being worked very deep 

 by the use of a subsoil plow. Make it rich with fertilizers, if it is not so 

 naturally, and work or underdrain it so that no water will stand on the surface 

 very long after heavy rains. I have an orchard of 1,000 trees, most of which ' 

 are twelve years old, and it has been thoroughly cultivated every year during 

 that time, except a portion of it that was left in grass for two years as an experi- 

 ment, which was very unsatisfactory. The past season I had but one tree that 

 showed signs of blight, while trees within three miles of my place, standing in 

 sod, were nearly ruined the past two years. 



The standard pear needs but little pruning, but cut back nearly two-thirds of 

 the young growth of dwarf trees. If this is not done, and they are not planted 

 deep enough, they will become a sort of half standards, and they will get top- 

 heavy and tip over. 



The past season my pears were sprayed thoroughly with the Bordeaux mix- 

 ture before they blossomed or leaved out. After the fruit set, I sprayed three 

 or four times more, at intervals of a week or two, according to the weather. In 

 the later sprayings I put in Paris green at the rate of i lb. to 200 or 300 gals, of 

 water, to destroy the codling-moth and the curculio. — /. N. Stearns, to the Michi- 

 gan Horticultural Society. 



