PEAR-TREE. 



241 



shoots. The same shoot seldom bears after the first ye'cJ", 

 except on some casual, small spurs, on the two years' wood^ 

 which is not to be counted upon. Hence the trees are to 

 be pruned, as bearing entirely on the shoots of the preced- 

 ing year ; and a full supply of every year's shoots must be 

 trained in for successional bearers. 



Thinning the fruit. — " In favourable seasons, the blos- 

 soms often set more fruit than they can support, or than 

 have room to attain full growth ; and if all were to remain, 

 it would hurt the trees in their future bearing ; therefore 

 they should be timely thinned, when of the size of large 

 peas, or half-grown gooseberries. There should be a pre- 

 paratory thinning at the time of stoning, and a final thin- 

 ning afterwards, because most plants, especially such as 

 have overborne themselves, drop many fruit at that crisis. 

 Finish the thinning with great regularity, leaving those re- 

 tained at proper distances, three, four, or five, on strong 

 shoots, two or three on middling, and one or two on the 

 weaker shoots ; and never leaving more than one peach at 

 the same eye. The fruit on weakly trees thin more in 

 proportion." — Abercrombie. 



tlse. — The use of the peach, as a dessert-fruit of the first 

 order, is too well known to require observation. In seve- 

 ral of the Southern States, a sort of brandy is made from this 

 fruit. This liquor, however, though highly flavoured, is 

 said to be unvdiolesome. 



The foUovvang mode of drying peaches has been 

 practised by Thomas Belangee, of Egg Harbour, Hew 

 Jersev : — 



He has a small house, with a stove in it, and drawers in 

 the sides of the house, lathed at their bottoms. Each 

 drawer will hold nearly half a bushel of peaches, which 

 should be ripe, and not peeled, but cut in two, and laid on 

 the laths, with their skins downwards, so as to save the 

 juice. On shoving the drawer in, they are soon dried by 

 the hot air of the stove, and laid up. Peaches, thus dried, 

 eat like raisins. With a paring-machine, which may be 

 had for a dollar or two, apples or pears may be pared, and 

 a sutficient quantity dried, to keep a family in pies, and 

 apple-bread and milk, till apples come again. With a par- 

 ing raachine, one person can pare for five or six cutters. 



PEAR-TREE. — Pyrus communis. — The pear-tree is 

 found in a wild state in Europe as far north as latitude 5 P. 

 It grows in almost any soil, and seems to be quite at home 

 h New England. In a dry soil (according to Loudon) jl 

 21 



