PEAE 



HABDY FBUIT GARDEN 



PEAE 1061 



shown in fig. 158 a, are much plumper 

 than the others shown at b, fig. 154, and 

 when prmiing, it is these plump buds 

 that should he left untouched. 



Root Pruning is sometimes necessary 

 in the case of Pear trees grafted on the 

 Pear stock, which either induces a strong 

 free growth at the expense of the finiit, or 

 sends taproots down deeply into bad soil. 

 The flow of sap may be checked in the 

 one case and promoted in the other by 

 carefully pruning the roots. The opera- 

 tion is described at p. 1031. Pear trees on 

 the Quince stock rarely require to be root 

 pruned, as the roots usually remain near 

 the surface, and seldom find their way 

 down into the subsoil. 



An alternative to root pruning is to 

 frequently lift the trees on the Pear stock 

 when they are young, and spread the roots 

 out carefully in a horizontal position with- 

 out cutting them. This operation will 

 lay the foundation of a good fibrous root 

 system, and will be of the greatest benefit 

 to the tree in after years. Needless to 

 say, it is useless trying to perform this 

 operation on old trees which have developed 

 large woody roots. 



Propagation. — Pear trees may be in- 

 creased l£ke Apples, by means of seeds, 

 cuttings, layers, budding, and grafting. 

 Seeds are used for raising stocks or new 

 varieties. When the latter object is in 

 view, seeds should be saved only from the 

 very choicest varieties ; they are best 

 sown in pots or pans as soon as ripe, and 

 placed in a warm sheltered position out of 

 doors or in cold frames, transplanting the 

 seedlings the following autumn. Seeds 

 of common varieties for grafting stocks 

 may be sown in the open ground in 

 shallow drills, and the seedlings may be 

 transplanted the following autumn, and 

 grown on until large enough to carry a 

 graft. 



Cuttings and layers of Pear trees are 

 rarely used at present, but may become 

 more common if the desire for having 

 trees on their own roots increases (see 

 p. 1042). 



Budding may be practised in June 

 and July, in dull showery weather if 

 possible, while grafting is done in March 

 or April just as the sap begins to rise. 

 Where the shoots of the stock and scion 

 are about the same thickness, whip- or 

 tongue-grafting is the method employed, 

 but in the case of large stocks and small 

 scions, cleft-grafting is practised. 



Stocks. — Pear trees are usually grafted 

 on either the Pear or Quince stock, but 

 occasionally on the Whitethorn, the 

 Mountain Ash, and the Medlar. 



The Pear stock, raised from seeds of 

 the wild or common cultivated varieties, 

 produces vigorous trees which live to a 

 great age, but are somewhat slow in 

 coming into bearing. They are suitable 

 for light soils, and for orchards and 

 niarket gardens, where the same attention 

 cannot be given to trees as in private 

 gardens. In deep and fertile soils Pears 

 on the Pear stock make splendid trees 

 and increase in fruitfulness with age for 

 many years. 



Quince stocks are obtained by cuttings, 

 but more frequently by layers. The shoots 

 are bent down and covered with soil 

 during the winter months, and by the 

 following autu m n, when well rooted, may 

 be detached and transplanted. The 

 Quince stock usually produces fibrous 

 roots very near the surface, induces a 

 dwarfer growth of the grafted variety, 

 and an earlier ripening of the fruit than 

 does the Pear stock. The latter continues 

 to grow later in the year, and consequently 

 the shoots produced at that period are 

 often immature and useless for fruit 

 bearing. The Quince stock on the other 

 hand induces a slower and steadier growth, 

 so that the branches have time to become 

 well ripened during the season. Although 

 trees upon it do not attain the dimensions 

 and age of those on the Pear stock, still 

 they come into bearing more quickly, 

 and the fruits are usually larger, earlier, 

 better coloured, but not so highly flavoured 

 as those on the Pear stock. As the 

 Quince is not nearly such a quick grower 

 as the Pear, the disparity in the size of 

 the stems at the point of union becomes 

 very marked. To avoid this unsightly 

 appearance, the grafting should be done 

 very low down on the stock near the soU, 

 so as to conceal as much as possible the 

 difference caused by the growth of late 

 years. 



INSECT AND FUNGOID PESTS, &C. 



Pear trees become diseased from vari- 

 ous causes, such as old age, bad planting, 

 cold, wet, undrained soil, bad and severe 

 pruning, excess of manm-e in direct con- 

 tact with the roots, want of reciprocity 

 between stock and scion, insects, fungi &c. 



Good cultivation, cleanhness, thorough 

 drainage, and proper pruning will, in a 



