PEARS. 



107 



the variety employed as the bud or scion, but 

 we have never observed an instance of a Pear 

 that is naturally of a fertile habit being thus 

 affected. Still, we prefer the Angers type for 

 the reasons already given. 



There is no question that the general intro- 

 duction to gardens of the dwarf-bush or pyra- 

 mid pears on the Quince stock, which was 

 largely due to Mr. Thomas Rivers, has con- 



I tributed greatly to the increased popularity of 

 the Pear for general cultivation. In four or 

 five years fruitful trees can be grown, whereas 

 on the free stock they would not be productive 

 for at least double the time. Then, too, in 

 many cases better coloured and more highly 

 flavoured fruits are secured from trees on this 

 stock than from those on the Pear, which is apt 

 to induce coarseness of the flesh until the tree 

 is well established and bearing freely. The 

 objection that trees on the Quince would be 

 of short duration has not proved to be the 

 fact, unless in exceptional cases where the 

 stock has been defective from the start. 



Intermediate Stocks — Double-gi afting. — Though 

 all Pears will grow on the free stock, there are 

 some which will not thrive when placed direct 

 upon the Quince, and this led to the introduc- 



Fig. 903.— Pear. Emile d'Heyst on Pear Stock 

 (9 feet high, 6 years old). 



. Fig.— 904. Pear. Same variety on Quince Stock 

 (6 feet high, 6 years old). 



(These figures illustrate greatly divergent growth on the two stocks.) 



tion of intermediate stocks or double-grafting, 

 one of the most interesting and important 

 matters connected with the artificial in- 

 crease of hardy fruits. The principle upon 

 which this depends is that a Pear which grows 

 freely upon the Quince is budded or grafted 

 on that stock and allowed to grow for at least 

 two years, this is then cut back to within a 

 few inches of the Quince stem, and the variety 

 it is desired to have on the Quince roots is 

 grafted upon the intermediate stock. It is re- 

 markable what a difference is effected in the 

 behaviour of the fruiting tree by the introduc- 

 tion of this piece of stem of another variety; 

 handsome, fertile trees are obtained of sorts 

 that had hitherto been unsatisfactory in all 



respects except on the free stocks. Many 

 varieties have been employed as intermediates 

 which were most suited to special varieties, in- 

 cluding the following : — Beurre d'Amanlis, which 

 forms a strong tree on the Quince, suits many 

 Pears as an intermediate stock, especially Jar- 

 gonelle, Gansel's Bergamot, and several of the 

 Bergamot type. Beurre Hardy is another of 

 free growth on the Quince, and most of the 

 stronger Pears succeed upon it. In France 

 Belle de Berri, known in Britain as Vicar of 

 Winkfield, is largely used. It has also been 

 employed in some English nurseries, Beurre 

 Clairgeau being especially successful upon it. 

 Other varieties that have given good results 

 for a similar purpose are Jaminette, Sucre Vert, 



