PEARS. 



105 



sorts have gained favour that are of little use 

 here. We cannot overcome all the difficulties 

 of our climate, but much may be done by 

 choosing an aspect that commands the fullest 

 exposure to the sun, and this is still further 

 aided by a moderate slope towards the south. 



These remarks generally apply to plantations 

 of bush, pyramid, or standard trees. In British 

 gardens, however, a large portion of the wall 

 space at command is devoted to Pears, and as 

 we go north this proportion is increased, because 

 they cannot be depended upon without such 

 protection. Another advantage is, that by 

 planting against walls with different aspects 

 the season of some fine Pears can be prolonged, 

 while even the north walls can be turned to 

 account for the varieties employed for stewing, 

 or for some of the latest keeping sorts that 

 require a long period of gradual maturing. It 

 is a rather strange fact, but not inconsistent 

 with what has already been said respecting the 

 variability of the Pear under different con- 

 ditions, that some varieties develop much higher 

 qualities when trained to walls than they do in 

 the open, while others show the reverse be- 

 haviour. They are not constant even in this, 

 as they may occasionally give better results as 

 a wall fruit in the north than they do in the 

 south. 



Soil. — The most suitable soil for Pears gener- 

 ally is a mellow, fertile loam of moderate depth, 

 and either naturally or artificially drained, as, 

 though a dry soil is antagonistic to the welfare 

 of the tree, yet excessive moisture in a stagnant 

 state is productive of serious evils. As regards 

 the richness and mechanical condition of the 

 soil, the special fitness for Pears will depend to 

 some extent upon the stock on which they are 

 growing. If Pears on the free stock are planted 

 on a deep, rich soil, an excessive and unfruitful 

 luxuriance will result, necessitating considerable 

 labour to check it, and often leading to disease. 

 On the other hand, the Quince stock will usually 

 thrive in such a soil, and produce healthy, fertile 

 trees. The Quince is a bad stock upon poor, thin 

 soils, the natural vigour of the free stock being 

 required to support the trees under such cir- 

 cumstances. It is, however, a much more easy 

 task to ameliorate an unfavourable soil, and 

 adapt it to the needs of the Pear, than it is 

 to alter other conditions that may be adverse 

 to the well-being of the tree. If dwarf bush or 

 pyramid trees on the Quince are to be planted, 

 or trained trees on the same stock, a thorough 

 preparation by digging or trenching should 

 precede the planting, incorporating a good pro- 



portion of old stable or farmyard manure where 

 the soil is poor, or if it has been exhausted by 

 previous cropping. It is better to expend a 

 little time in this preliminary work than to 

 rely upon removing defects subsequently, as 

 it can seldom be then performed in a thorough 

 or satisfactory manner. When soil abounds in 

 chalk or lime and is at the same time deficient 

 in humus, this liberal preparation is even more 

 important, or the trees soon become sickly. 

 We have seen instances where efforts to supply 

 the lacking nourishment by means of top-dress- 

 ings, or even by generous applications of liquid 

 manures, have absolutely failed to accomplish 

 the desired purpose, the only remedy being 

 lifting and replanting the trees in freshly-pre- 

 pared borders. With very heavy clay soils 

 (which are naturally the least suited for Pears) 

 no more effective means can be adopted than 

 partially burning a portion and mixing this 

 with the bulk at the time of digging, though 

 abundance of decaying vegetable matter will 

 also assist the work greatly. A rough digging 

 in early autumn and exposure to a winters 

 frost and weathering will reduce some of the 

 most tenacious soils to workable condition, 

 and they can be then more readily prepared 

 for early planting the next season. In most 

 gardens where the whole of the available 

 space is under a regular system of cropping 

 and liberal cultivation, it is seldom that much 

 special preparation is requisite for Pears. But 

 where a plantation is being formed on fresh 

 ground, or a border near a wall is to be 

 planted, the conditions are very different, and 

 greater attention is demanded. 



Stocks for Pears. — The same broad distinctions 

 rule in the stocks used for Pears as in those em- 

 ployed for Apples, namely, the seedling Pear or 

 free stock is that on which the largest trees are 

 obtained either as standards or pyramids, with 

 a correspondingly tardy arrival at a fruit-bear- 

 ing stage. The Quince stock usually reduces 

 the luxuriant growth of the trees and promotes 

 early fertility. The Pear stock is often spoken 

 of as if it were derived exclusively from seed 

 of the Wild Pear, whereas it is seldom ob- 

 tained from this source, and large quantities 

 of Pear seeds or Pear seedlings are exported 

 from France to Great Britain and the United 

 States, practically furnishing the bulk of the 

 free stocks employed here and in America, 

 These seeds are obtained from various sources, 

 and the resulting seedlings often exhibit marked 

 differences in strength and habit, in the same 

 way as do the free stocks for Apples (seedlings), 



