On Fertilizing the Blossoms of Pear Trees. 209 



infertile habits ; it is that of a Gansell's Bergamot, which has 

 grown for twenty years or more in its present situation against 

 a wall, part of which has a south-west, and part a south-east 

 aspect. 



This tree has all the appearance of health, and sufficient 

 luxuriance, and has been for several years constantly covered 

 with a profusion of blossoms at the proper season, but has 

 never before this, borne more than three or four Pears in any 

 one year ; and most frequently not a single one. It never oc- 

 curred to my observation, before the year 1820, when I was 

 much occupied in the artificial impregnation of different kinds 

 of fruit, that, out of from nine or fewer, to fifteen or more florets, 

 of which the cluster (botanically corymbus), of the Pear-tree 

 consists, only the three lower ones, (generally speaking), set, 

 or, in other words, are effectually impregnated, for fruiting. 

 Recollecting the practice of the best gardeners, of topping 

 their early beans, i. e. of pinching off with the fore ringer and 

 thumb the uppermost blossoms, some apparent, and others in 

 embryo, of the general spike, for the purpose of setting the 

 lower and earliest ones, which would otherwise, in most cases, 

 prove abortive, I conceived, that removing the upper and 

 central blossoms of the corymbus of the Pear, as soon as it 

 could conveniently be done, would have a similar good effect 

 in invigorating the remaining ones, and causing them to set 

 with greater certainty. With this view, in the spring of 1821, 

 as soon as the three lower blossoms of the corymbi began to 

 shew their white faces, I set to work with my sharp-pointed 

 scissors on two Pear-trees, the one, the Gansell's Bergamot 

 above mentioned, and the other a Brown Beurre, and in as 

 short time as I could have properly thinned two dozen bun- 



