a Crop of Fruit on Pear Trees. 41 



genial, and every care has been taken in planting, &c. This is 

 the case with the Duchesse d'Angouleme, and with many others 

 I could mention. The trees of these varieties, according to my 

 observations, devote the whole of their strength and sap to the 

 production of a superabundance of blossoms ; but, unless they 

 are assisted by art, they have not sufficient strength to set their 

 fruit. In order, then, to remedy this defect, and to assist nature 

 as much as possible, I have adopted the following plan, with 

 great success and satisfaction, for the last three years : — 



Take a pair of scissors (such as are used for thinning grapes), 

 and go over the corymbs of flowers, or rather of flower-buds, as 

 soon as they are sufficiently elongated to allow the points of the 

 scissors to pass between them (that is, some days before the 

 blossoms are expanded), and thin them ; leaving only five or six 

 blossoms in each, according to the size of the corymb : always 

 preferring to leave the flowers which have the stoutest stalks, 

 and those which are nearest the centre. This operation has the 

 effect of diverting the sap to the flowers which remain, and gives 

 them sufficient strength to set from one to three fruits in each 

 umbel ; which will prove a sufficient crop, and well repay the 

 labour bestowed. Another mode, less tedious than the above, 

 is also practised here, with success, on young trees. It consists 

 in deferring that part of the pruning of them which is termed 

 shortening the young wood, until the blossoms are in about the 

 same state as is described in the above directions for thinning, and 

 then shortening them back to the required length. This also 

 checks the progress of the sap, and enables the tree to set fruit very 

 freely. I am aware that my plan is a tedious one, and one that is 

 almost impracticable on a large scale ; but it is decidedly an 

 excellent plan for dwarf trees in gardens, whether they are cul- 

 tivated in the quenouille mode, against walls, or as espaliers ; as 

 these trees come within the reach of the hand, of a pair of steps, 

 or of a ladder. In the hope that these remarks may, through 

 your indulgence, avail my fellow-labourers in horticulture, at the 

 coming season, I am, Sir, yours, &c. 



Bernard Saunders. 

 Nursery, Island of Jersey, Dec. 6. 1833. 



We recommend the above article to the particular attention of young 

 gardeners. The system of disbudding advised in the preceding paper by 

 Mr. Callow, and that of thinning out blossoms suggested in the above paper 

 by Mr. Saunders, are applicable to all fruit trees ; and, if generally adopted, 

 would insure important results. We know an instance of a large apple 

 orchard, the property of a commercial gardener in Kent, in which a knife has 

 never been used : every thing is effected by disbudding, and pinching out 

 young wood with the finger and thumb. The proprietor is not a scientific gar- 

 dener ; and he adopted the above practice from no particular theory, but 

 simply from his own observation and experience, to save labour, and to 

 insure good crops of large fruit. We hope to see his orchard next summer, 

 and to report on it. — Cond. 



