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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



munerative, and were it not for the constant clianging of tenants 

 from one piece of land to another, might be advantageously 

 practised. It is not so here ; most of the fine fruit is produced 

 on accidental trees, either found in gardens on taking possession, 

 or planted by incoming tenants. Taking into consideration the 

 time necessary to get a stock of trees into a good bearing state, 

 few tenants would care to ado])t any system of planting or 

 training from which they would not derive some immediate 

 advantage, 



The cultivation of the pear has been so very remunerative 

 for years past, that it has been made a subject of more general 

 study and system. Many of the old gardens, established half a 

 century or more ago, offer evidence of the walks having palisades- 

 on both sides, for the purpose of training pear trees upon them, 

 and m some cases the palisading has been double, so as to admit 

 of trees being trained on both sides, one foot or less being the 

 intervening space between the rows of palisades. Trees planted 

 in this way are generally productive ; the main lateral branches 

 being trained and supported horizontally, a regular and con- 

 tinuous supply of sap is provided during the growing season for 

 the development of the fruit. This system has and does answer 

 well, and as long as the trees continue healthy they bear good 

 crops of fruit, the size of which much depends upon the amount 

 of thinning practised. Against walls, both horizontal, fan, and 

 cordon styles of training are practised, all of which answer well 

 in the hands of careful attendants. Dwarf bush and pyramidal 

 trees are also grown, many acres of ground being devoted to the 

 cultivation of the celebrated Chaumontel Pear. The great 

 number of excellent varieties grown, and their exquisite though 

 varied flavours, make the pear a fruit of general acceptance, 

 though few varieties are much grown. Citron des Carmes, 

 Jargonelle, Williams' Bon Chretien, Louise Bonne, Marechal de 

 Cour, Beurres d'Amanlis and Diel, Duchesse d'Angouleme^ 

 Doyenne du Comice, Chaumontel, Glou Morceau, and Easter 

 Beurre are more often met with than other varieties ; and 

 amongst culinary pears, the Belle de Jersey (syn. Belle Ange- 

 vine), and Catillac, or pound pear, are considered the best. 



A rich, strong loam suits the Quince stock best, a lighter soil 

 suits the free stock for pears. The advantage of growing pears 

 on the quince as a stock is early fructification, whereas the 

 generally-accepted axiom respecting pears grafted on the free or 

 pear stock is, that — 



He who plants pears, 

 Plants for his heirs. 



There are but few large pear trees on the island ; occasionally 

 one or two are met with, towering above the apple trees in the 

 orchards, but such trees are the exception ; and land is so ex- 



