THE PEAR. 87 



quickly fed by surface dressing ; some varieties, 

 like the Duchesse d'Angouleme, seem to prefer 

 the quince root, and, chief of all, the trees are 

 thrown into early fruiting, and speedy returns 

 are realized. Unremitting attention is requisite 

 in order to keep a dwarf orchard in health and 

 vigorous productiveness, but this is. a condition 

 which every fruit culturist should expect to give. 



It is also important to make sure that the 

 quince roots are planted so deep as to be entirely 

 below the surface of the earth, not only to secure 

 them against the attacks of the borer, but also in 

 order to protect this more tender stock from the 

 effects of the winter. With the earth drawn up 

 around the collar the stock is much safer, and it 

 is often the case that the pear will form its own 

 roots. But in such instances the growth is un- 

 equal, the tree has lost its character, and the 

 change is a doubtful advantage. 



When the soil is right, perhaps the wisest plan 

 would be to plant 108 standards to an acre, a dis- 

 tance of twenty feet apart each way. Then plant 

 between each tree in each row a dwarf ; also be- 

 tween each row a full row of dwarfs ten feet apart. 

 This will give 435 trees to an acre, one quarter 

 standards and three quarters dwarfs, with a uni- 

 form distance of ten feet between each tree. In 

 this way the land will speedily be covered with 



