PEARS. 



129 



tremely liable to be affected by severe frost. 

 All these derangements from unseasonable and 

 imperfect growth tend to favour attacks of 

 canker; and as they recur more or less fre- 

 quently, so will the tree be affected in a greater 

 or less degree. 



Although it has been recommended to encou- 

 rage growth as soon as the weather is favour- 

 able, yet where there appears to be a disposition 

 to canker, a rapid and over-vigorous vegetation 

 should be guarded against. The use of rank 

 manures must be particularly avoided; whilst, 

 on the contrary, the application of fresh soil 

 will prove advantageous. The special and 

 direct treatment of this disease and other 

 fungus attacks are dealt with in the chapter on 

 Plant Diseases. 



Insects, &c. — For descriptions of the insects 

 and other enemies of the Pear, see the chapter 

 on this subject, where references will be found 

 to the following: — 



Bark Enemies. — Apple Mussel Scale, Pear 

 Oyster Scale, Pear Sucker, Wceberian Tortrix. 

 Bud and Flower Enemies. — Apple Blossom 

 Weevil. Fruit and Seed Enemies. — Birds, 

 Grape Moth. Leaf Enemies. — Figure - of - 8 

 Moth, Garden Chafer, Lunar-spotted Pinion 

 Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty Moth, Pear-leaf 

 Blister Moth, Pear-leaf Mite, Red-footed Beetle, 

 Slug -worms, Vapourer Moth, Winter Moth. 

 Stem Borers. — Goat Moth, Stem-boring Weevils, 

 Wood Leopard Moth. 



Pears for Market. 



Many of the details already furnished con- 

 cerning the general commercial aspects of Apple 

 culture for market are equally applicable to 

 Pears grown with the same object. But if 

 experience and caution are needful in the former 

 case, they are still more important where Pears 

 alone are to be relied upon for the returns. 

 This, however, is rarely the way in which Pears 

 are cultivated for profit; almost invariably they 

 constitute a portion of a mixed plantation, 

 though the proportion as compared with other 

 fruits will vary in accordance with many cir- 

 cumstances. 



Difficulties and Defects. — Except in the most 

 favourable situations, there is considerable risk 

 in planting Pears largely in open plantations 

 when profitable results are essential to success. 

 Occasional crops even of good fruits afford 

 growers a poor chance of a satisfactory balance, 

 and something like regularity in the annual 

 produce is required. As far as it is possible 

 Vol. ii. 



by judgment and experience to ensure this, it 

 must be provided for by special attention to the 

 peculiarities of situation and aspect that may 

 affect the results, and which have already been 

 fully described in the chapters on Apples and 

 Pears. The early flowering of the Pear renders 

 it especially liable to frost injuries at that im- 

 portant period, therefore it is useless to attempt 

 its culture commercially in any position that is 

 exposed to this danger in a conspicuous degree. 

 Further, the Pear requires abundant direct sun- 

 light to develop its fruits to perfection of size 

 and colour, and to ensure the maturity of the 

 growth for continuous cropping. To secure 

 good size there must be adequate supplies of 

 moisture without stagnation, as, though the Pear 

 will thrive in a moderately dry atmosphere, it 

 will not endure an arid soil about its roots. If 

 the trees suffer from any defect in this respect 

 the market value of the fruit produced will be 

 insignificant, for within certain limits size in 

 Pears, as with other fruits, rules the selling 

 prices to a material extent. 



The best Pears will pay for careful cultiva- 

 tion and the greater expense needed to ensure 

 the attainment of success, better even than 

 Apples, as regards the actual money returns per 

 tree and area occupied, provided the conditions 

 enumerated are duly adjusted. But for the 

 finest fruits at the highest prices the market is 

 more limited, and the distribution is therefore 

 more difficult and uncertain. Where British 

 growers can produce and place in the markets 

 Pears equal in quality to those imported, at an 

 equally low price, the opportunities for increased 

 sale are much greater. The climatal and other 

 difficulties here must naturally restrict to com- 

 paratively few districts the possibility of com- 

 peting with favoured rivals on profitable terms, 

 though very much more could be done to im- 

 prove the prospects of home growers by closer 

 attention to our competitors' methods. As it is, 

 the substantially profitable portion of the home 

 Pear trade is confined to two classes — (1) the 

 sale of small early fruits from large established 

 trees on the free stock, and (2) the marketing 

 of the choicest examples, such as are obtained 

 from the best-grown pyramids, with espaliers, 

 cordons, or similar trees trained to walls. 



With the first class very little expense or 

 trouble is incurred. The fruit is often sold direct 

 to the retailer, who in many cases undertakes 

 the gathering; or it is forwarded in bulk to the 

 more populous cities, and there immediately 

 distributed by costermongers, &c. The prices 

 realized are necessarily low, and will only allow 



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