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LETTER FOURTH. 



ON THE PEAR. 



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Horticultural writers trace the origin of our 

 present fine fruits to some worthless variety 

 of the same species found growing wild in some 

 part of the world. The Pear has, according 

 to their views, been derived from the Pyrvs 

 comrrtvnu, an austere, worthless fruit, which, 

 they think, by the skill of man and culture, 

 has been developed into its present luscious state. 

 This theory of progressive development has been 

 shown in the case of animals and man to be ab- 

 surd, but no one hardly doubts but it is the case 

 with fruit and vegetables. My space will not 

 allow me to combat this view at length, suflSce 

 it to say that there is no evidence whatever to 

 support this theory. The earliest records men- 

 tion fine varieties of these fruits, the origin of 

 which was even then unknown, and there is lit- 

 tle doubt but they did exist of us good a quality 

 as our best at all times, from the beginning of 

 the world. When we are told that the Garden 

 of Eden was planted " with every tree that was 

 pleasant to the sight, or good for food," are we 

 to suppose tiat its best varieties of Apple, 

 Pear, Plum, Ac, were only Crab-apples, Wild- 

 choke Pears, Sloes, A;c. ? We may a-" well be- 

 lieve that Adam and Eve were Gorillas, or even 

 a lower type, and that man has been raised by 

 comparatively modern civilization to his present 

 state, as believe that only inferior fruits were at 

 first created. On the contrary, we have more 

 grounds to believe, that when first created, they 

 were superior to the best now in cultivation, and 

 that by care and culture we are only gradually 

 bringing them up to their original type of per- 

 fection with still great room for improvement. 

 We may, therefore, attribute the inferior fruits 

 now growing wild, either to distinct varieties or 

 to degeneration, caused by unsuitable climate, 

 soil, or want of cultura. 



We know indeed, that natural and artificial 

 hybridization has produced wonders in the beau- 

 tiful double-flowers that have been originated 

 by modern skill and care ; that all varieties of 

 the same species will cross by natural or artifi- 

 cial hybridization, so as to make infinite new 

 forms and colors ; and that once the change in 

 structure has taken place there is almost no limit 

 to alteration or improvement — and, no doubt, 

 this has given rise in a great measure, to the 

 theory of progressive development; but, that 



by sowing the seeds of the inferior wild varieties, 

 a superior fruit can be raised, without being 

 crossed with a superior, is contrary to all know- 

 ledge. 



The pear is more easily affected by the 

 seasons than any other fruit, — one year it will 

 be small, insipid, and comparatively worthless, 

 while the next it will be large, juicy, and fine ; 

 the time of maturity also varies greatly, — the 

 same variety will be often from three weeks to 

 a month earlier in ripening one season than 

 another, so that sometimes what is generally a 

 winter pear, will ripen thoroughly late in au- 

 tumn. 



As the pear grows more upright than the 

 apple it does not require to be planted so far 

 apart ; for standards 25 ftet distance will be suf- 

 ficient, and a Dwarf Pear, or even two, might 

 be planted between each standard, leaving suffi- 

 cient space at short distances to get in with carts 

 to manure the ground and take off the produce. 

 When the roots of the standards begin to oc- 

 cupy the ground the dwarfs can be taken up 

 and planted elsewhere. I have thus removed 

 dwarfs that had been planted ten to twelve 

 years with perfect success. 



But though I recommend the planting of 

 dwarfs between the rows of standards, I, by no 

 ..leans, consider it the best mode of culture, I 

 am convinced that to obtain the finest fruit and 

 the most profit, either in garden or orchard cul- 

 ture, the Dwarf Pear should be planted by itself, 

 the ground kept thoroughly cultivated, and no 

 crop of any kind grown with it. In this case 

 the trees should be planted ter *"' '. apart 

 each way ; and, if wished, an early-fruit- 

 ing, slow-growing variety, such as Bartlett, 

 Beurro Clairgeau, Doyenne d'Etc, Dearborne's 

 Seedling, Belle Lucrative, Seckel, &c., might be 

 planted in the spaces, to be removed afterwards. 

 They would thus be at first five feet apart each 

 way. In dwarf orchard culture, if this plan is 

 adopted, the intermediate tree must only be 

 planted one way of the rows, leaving each row 

 ten feet apart, to allow for cultivation with the 

 plough, Ac. A space of 12 or 14 feet should 

 be left between every third row, to enable you to 

 thoroughly manure the ground, which should be 

 done every year if possible ; for the roots of 

 the Quince being nearer the surface, and extend- 



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