THE PEAR. 



499 



so many that, each one forming a small branch of itself, the 

 whole taken together will make a full top in a few years. 



In order to render the operation plain. Fig. 639 is made to 

 represent the unchanged tree at an age of from ten to twenty 

 years. Many smaller branches are cut away, and those of 

 medium size left distributed at as regular distances as may 

 be. As the tendency of the growth is upward, the top should 

 be rather worked downward in this operation, and the side 



Fig. 639. 



Fig. 6401 



Pig. 641. 



limbs near the bottom allowed a full chance. In the ends of 

 these shoots some thirty or forty grafts are set, as shown in 

 Fig. 640. Trees of the Virgalieu or Doyenne, which had be- 

 come worthless by cracking, and which were large enough to 

 bear a bushel or two annually, have been entirely changed in 

 this way to better sorts, and yielding three years afterward 

 larger crops than ever. 



If the labor of inserting so many grafts is too great for ordi- 

 nary practice, one-third or less may be set, as shown in Fig. 

 641. 



Dwarf pear-trees of undesirable varieties may be readily 

 changed in this way to other sorts — the more easily because 

 they are lower, and accessible from the ground. Old dwarf 



