SLIT THE BARK. 43 
earth finely-ground bones, super-phosphate and wood 
ashes; a small quantity of each will answer the 
purpose, provided the ground is of average quality, 
that is, of sufficient strength to produce forty or fifty 
bushels of shelled corn to the acre. Before putting 
the tree into place, examine the roots carefully, and 
if there are any broken or bruised remove them; 
using a sharp knife and cutting them from the under 
side. 
All fruit growers are aware of the fact, that pear 
trees in the nursery row throw out stronger branches 
towards the next row than towards the next tree in 
the same row. ‘The future equilibrium of the trees 
will therefore depend in part on the weaker portions 
being preserved as above described. 
Dwarf pears should be placed in the soil, so that 
at least four inches of the pear stalk will be covered ; 
or in other words, the union between the pear and 
the quince should be four inches below the surface. 
This will insure the early bearing of pears worked 
on quince, and the pear stalk will, in the course of a 
few years, push forth roots changing the tree into a 
standard. Some varieties do not readily root from 
their own stock. In such cases I have removed the 
earth from around the body, and with a sharp knife 
slit the bark open lengthwise in three or four differ- 
ent places, and then restored the earth. This is 
