292 THE NURSERY LIST. 



Pear, continued. , 



from its cheapness, however, this foreign seed probably 

 possesses no superiority over domestic seed. But pear 

 seed is so difficult to obtain in America that it is practi- 

 cally out of the market. Seedlings of the sand pear type 

 have been strongly recommended for stocks, but they do 

 not attain general favor amongst nurserymen. 



Pear seedlings should be taken up and removed from 

 the seed-bed the first fall. The foreign stocks are im- 

 ported when a year old from the seed. The seedlings are 

 trimmed and sometimes "dressed" (see page 96), and are 

 set into nursery rows the following spring. The next sea- 

 son — that is, the season in which the stocks are trans- 

 planted — shield-budding is performed, as upon the apple. 

 The budding season usually begins late in July or early in 

 August m the north. If ihe stocks are small, of "second 

 size," they may stand over winter and be budded the 

 second year. Pear trees are sold at two and three years 

 from the bud. Pears do not succeed well when root- 

 grafted, except when a long cion is used, for the purpose 

 of securing own-rooted trees (see page no). Dormant 

 buds of the pear may be used upon large stocks in early 

 spring, the same as upon the apple and buds may be kept 

 upon ice for use in early summer (see page 103). 



Pears are dwarfed by working them upon the quince. 

 The Angers quince is the best stock. The ordinary 

 orange quince and its kin generally make weak and short- 

 lived trees. Quince stocks are obtained from ordinary 

 cuttings or from mound-layering, the latter method giving 

 much the better stocks (see Quince). The layers should 

 be removed the first autumn ; or, if they are not rooted 

 then, thev may be left a year longer, when they will be 

 found to be well rooted, and may then be taken off', 

 trimmed up and fitted to plant as stocks the following 

 spring, and budded in August. Quince stocks are bought 

 in Europe, whence they arrive in the fall. They are 

 "dressed" and set in nursery rows the following spring, 

 and the buds are set during the first season. It is im- 

 perative to set the bud as low as possible in order to se- 

 cure trees which can easily be set deep enough to cover 

 the union (4 to 6 inches below the surface is the common 

 depth of planting dwarf pears). Some varieties do not 

 unite well with the quince, and if it is desired to dwarf 

 them, they should be double-worked (see page 133). 

 Some of the common and popular varieties which thrive 

 directly upon the quince (without double working) are the 



