PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 211 



of the tree. No one need be afraid of the lime injuring the trees; there is 

 no danger of this. November is a good time to make the application." 



Another friend of fruit, in Indiana, says he preserves his trees from 

 depredations of both mice and rabbits by whitewashing the boles close to 

 the ground, allowing a little to run down below the surface. 



The Cause of Decay of Pear Trees. 



Mr. Christopher Pike, of Dunkirk, Dane county, Wis., sends the follow- 

 ing communication upon this subject: 



" There are pear trees now growing in the New England States which I 

 knew forty years ago as bearing trees then, of a foot in diameter, but at 

 the present time greatly increased in size, yet in good bearing condition, 

 and apparently as thrifty as ever. On the contrary, I have known pear 

 trees to arrive at bearing condition in a few years — bear abundantly five 

 to ten years, and die at fifteen or twenty years of age. Now, in my 

 opinion, there are two main causes of the early deaths of standard pear 

 trees, saying nothing of insects. The first growers of the pear and apple 

 in this country planted or set the tree, and then waited patiently for it to 

 arrive at its normal bearing age, unaided by forcing process. Conse- 

 quently, the tree grew slowly, the wood was very compact and fine-grained, 

 and no more likely to be aflected by age than most fores't trees; in fact, so 

 hard it was, that M'hen the manufacture of perry was abandoned, those 

 trees which bore useless fruit for the table were cut down for the cabinet- 

 maker and button manufacturer; leaving others still standing in majestic 

 vigor, yet bearing abundantly, and likely to bear for years to come. Those 

 who force their trees by artificial means, have the pleasure of seeing a pre- 

 cocious g'rowth and bearing condition, and early and quick decay, and 

 death, after a few extraordinary crops had been taken from them. The 

 wood of such trees is extremely light, porous, and coarse-grained — the 

 grains sometimes exceeding a half an inch in thickness — and the wood 

 seemingly as light as corn-stalk when dry; consequently, such wood can- 

 not withstand the cold of winter, insects or other casualty, as those of 

 natural growth. I have no doubt but the same reasons are the cause of 

 the deterioration of varieties, some having become nearly obsolete, which 

 were once deemed excellent and most worthy of cultivation; thus showing 

 to the careful observer that precocity in fruit trees, as in everything else, 

 tends to early decay and death. The other main cause of the short life of 

 forced bearing trees, is the great quantity of saccharine matter such pre- 

 cocious trees are compelled to furnish, in order to perfect the large and 

 constant crop which they usually produce. In transplanting pear trees, I 

 should be careful not to break or injure the main, or tap root, and make the 

 hole deep enough to take it in straight downwards. The main stock upwards 

 should be allowed to grow, for the natural form of the pear tree top is 

 conical, or at least ovate. Pruning should of course be done, but not so 

 as to change what would be the natural form of the tree top." 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — The cause of decay stated in this letter may be 

 applicable to Wisconsin; it is not to Long Island, for there the trees do not 

 fail from high culture or overbearing. 



Prof. Mapes. — If pear trees are fed with highly nitrogenous manure, the 



