294 



PEAR, 



The quince has already been alluded to as a stock 

 for the pear ; but there are some sorts which do not 

 succeed on the quince, either by bud or graft. To 

 remedy this, double working was had recourse to ; 

 that is, first grafting the quince with a pear, such 

 for instance as the virgouleuse, and on that in the 

 next year working any other sort required. 



What has rendered the quince stock of so much 

 repute in this country, is the bad success at- 

 tending the ordinary method of planting pears 

 worked on seedling stocks in too deep and too rich 

 borders ; which causes such exuberant growth and 

 consequent barrenness, that the trees were only 

 useless cumberers of the ground. Now, had the 

 borders been properly prepared, by having a hard 

 dry bottom, with a surface layer of light fresh loam, 

 about fifteen inches deep only, the same trees would 

 have taken a kindly growth, and very soon would 

 have been fruitful. A decisive proof of the efficacy 

 of this plan of planting pear trees is given by the in- 

 telligent Mr. Hiver in the Gardener's Magazine, 

 vol. V, p. 60 ; a paper which should be read by 

 every young gardener and planter in the kingdom. 



As to the method of gathering and storing the 

 fruit, the reader is referred to what has been advised 

 for the apple. 



Pear trees suffer from insects, and extreme at- 

 mospheric changes, like other fruit trees. But the 

 greatest injuries to which the tree is liable, proceed 

 from late frosts ; the earliest flowering sorts are 



