134 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



into bearing, and that the fruit was somewhat larger. All these claims 

 were true, but experience soon showed that the trees were so short- 

 lived that the claims amounted to nothing. 



I am inclined to the belief, after long observation, that if we could 

 have the pear tree on its own roots (root and top the same) our or- 

 chards would be more permanent. This would be a slow way to get 

 up a large stock, but it could be done by layering. I think it is well 

 worth the attention of pear growers. It is no easy thing to establish 

 a good pear orchard. The trees are necessarily high priced. Five 

 apple trees can be produced as cheaply as one pear tree. They have 

 but few roots, and are difficult to transplant. After planting they 

 often die suddenly without any apparent cause. In the older states 

 they have been swept off by the thousands with blight. Some large 

 orchards have lived fifteen years or more and born considerable fruit, 

 giving the owner great encouragement, when suddenly, in one season, 

 blight sets in and ruins what was so prosperous and what had been 

 waited on so long. Human life is too short to repeat these invest- 

 ments often. One good thing can be said of the pear tree, when it 

 gets age it is quite free from blight and disease, and it is a long-lifed 

 tree. Some have been in bearing more than a century. I think if 

 they w T ere on their own roots they would be more likely to live to a 

 great age. 



Blight — As to blight I have but little to say. ' Much has been 

 written, but little is known. My experience has been that nothing 

 will arrest this disease when it begins. Yet some things may greatly 

 prevent it. Certain varieties are quite free from it, but perhaps none 

 entirely so on all soils and situations. When a young tree blights 

 badly I cut it back severely and I have known very handsome trees 

 forming good tops from this cutting back. This is very easy done, 

 though somewhat uncertain. I never trim my pear trees at all. I 

 let branches come out near the ground, and let the cattle and horses 

 browse the lower limbs. This shortens them in growing time and 

 don't induce growth, but rather retards it. As soon as the fruit be- 

 gins to get some size the animals are removed. I know this plan 

 will be objected to by many fruit growers. I have some objection to 

 it myself, but my reasons are as follows : The ground must not be 

 plowed, the grass must be kept short, the pasture is worth something. 

 The lower short branches shade the ground and the trunk and pre- 



