THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN". 



43 



cultivated fruits. Originally hard, dry, austere, but 

 a few removes from the wood of the branches on 

 which they grew, they have become sweet, rich, 

 mellow, luscious, aromatic, " meaty " to the highest 

 degree. The last word is the oldest and most emphatic, 

 and may suggest that the Pear was looked upon as 

 food at a time when the common name of food of all 

 kinds was " meat." But probably the idea was simply 

 "fit to eat," in opposition to the hard and austere 

 Pears that were then considered the only fit and 

 proper sorts for cooking, and this mistake can hardly 

 be yet said to be remedied, though now the majority 

 of sensible pomologists Jbake their very best dessert 

 Pears, and find these, if baked sufficiently early, the 

 best of all for cooking in every way. 



Longevity of the Pear. — This is proverbial, 

 and it probably exceeds that of all other culti- 

 vated fruits, with the exception of that of the Mul- 

 berry. Pear-trees are still intact and in bearing that 

 have lived for three or four centuries. Its hardy 

 origin and splendid constitution stand it in good stead 

 in its contest against time and the rugged, stern se- 

 verities of our climate. And though the set has turned 

 against large fruit-trees, it is to be hoped that in 

 park, orchard, or sheltered wood, spaces will always be 

 found for a goodly number of Pear-trees, to grow up 

 into full stature at leisure, and assume their natural 

 form and character with a minimum amount of inter- 

 ference from the cultivator. 



Improvement of General and Local Cli- 

 mate. — This has already been treated of under the 

 head of drainage and cultivation of the soil. A good 

 deal may be done for Pears by raising the roots, either 

 partially or wholly, abo ve the surrounding level. By 

 such simple mechanical means the roots may be lifted 

 bodily out of wet or ungenial subsoils, or barren and 

 unsuitable surface soils. 



In very dry and poor localities the very opposite 

 plan may at times be adopted with the happiest re- 

 sults. Pits may be dug out bodily, a yard or more in 

 depth, and two across, and these filled in with stiff 

 turfy loam, that best adapted for Pears, and the new 

 level left from three to six inches lower than the 

 natural one of the surrounding district, thus insuring 

 a plentiful supply of water for the Pear-trees from the 

 overshed from the natural soil contiguous to them. 



It is astonishing what improvements in local 

 climate may be effected by thorough drainage, and 

 the substitution of an arable for a grass surface. The 

 first will often effect a rise of five or more degrees in 

 the temperature. Nor does this represent all the 

 gain. The rise will be greatest, or what amounts in 

 Pear-culture to the same thing, the depression will be 

 least when heat is most needed. For example, in the 



early spring, when every molecule of heat may be 

 needed to combat successfully the repeated efforts of 

 spring frosts to destroy the Pear-blossoms, every drop 

 of water sent down through the surface strata in- 

 stead of being lifted off it, conserves the heat of the 

 local atmosphere, and thus contributes to the safety 

 of the Pear-bloom. 



Again, the difference of temperature between a 

 bare arable surface and one of grass in the early 

 spring is so great as to make all the difference 

 between the safety and destruction of the Pear-bloom. 

 The earth absorbs the solar heat gradually by day, 

 and parts with it during cold nights with sufficient 

 rapidity and volume to keep the local atmosphere 

 warm. enough to save the bloom from destruction. 

 The looser and more bare the surface of the earth, the 

 more efficient as a local warming-pan for the trees. 

 If too dark and too heavy it would absorb heat too 

 rapidly, and lose it too soon to do its amelioratory 

 work on the local climate efficiently. But calcareous 

 loams of rather a light colour, of a loose texture, 

 do much to make Pear-culture possible on sites 

 and in climates where it would otherwise be almost 

 hopeless. 



On a cold sunny day in March two years ago, 

 the writer had occasion to pass from the sheltered 

 to the exposed side of a belt about fifteen yards wide. 

 On its south-western side Primroses were in bloom, 

 the Sweet-briar shootlets were two inches long, and 

 Lilacs w r ere showing their large white buds swollen 

 and bursting through. Even the Chestnut and Syca- 

 more buds had swollen ; the air w T as soft, almost as a 

 May morning, and the birds were singing, wondering 

 at the early spring, and laying all sorts of precocious 

 plans for nest-building. On the north-eastern side 

 winter reigned in full vigour and severity, with no sign 

 of budding life nor coming spring. And yet all the 

 difference arose from a thin screen of living vegeta- 

 tion, efficient for protection almost in the ratio of its 

 flimsiness. Evergreen trees are still more power- 

 ful warmers and ameliorators of local climate. A 

 double or treble line of Spruce or Scotch Firs on 

 the exposed side of Pear-trees would enable them to 

 be grown successfully in thousands of districts where 

 their culture would be otherwise hopeless. Beech, 

 Hornbeam, Arbor Vitae, or Yew hedges are still more 

 potential ameliorators of local climate, and are not 

 only far cheaper but more efficient than walls. 



Selection of Favourable Local Climates 

 for Pears. — These abound in most neighbourhoods, 

 and even in most gardens, or the surroundings of 

 the house or outhouses, however small. The sunny 

 sheltered sides of hills ; warm sites near hedges or 

 plantations; southern and western aspects of walls; 

 the cosiest nooks and comers in shrubberies, pleasure 



