410 
THE PEAR. 
buttery, and juicy, when allowed to mature in a room kept at 
the temperature of 60 or 70 degrees. 
Propagation. The finer sorts of pears are continued or in- 
creased, by grarting and budding, and the stocks, on which to 
work, are either seedlings or suckers. Sucker stocks have usu- 
ally such indifferent roots, they are so liable to produce suckers, 
continually, themselves, and are so much less healthy than seed- 
lings, that they are now seldom used by good^ cultivators ; 
though, if quite young and thrifty, they will often make good 
stocks. 
Seedlings, however, are by far the best stocks for the pear, 
in all cases ; and seedlings from strong growing, healthy pears, 
of common quality — such as grow about most farmers’ gardens, 
are preferable, for stocks, to those raised from the best varie- 
ties — being more hardy and vigorous. 
As it is usually found more difficult to raise a good supply of 
seedling pear stocks in this country, than of any other fruit tree, 
we Avill here remark that it is absolutely necessary, to ensure 
success, that two points be observed. The first, is to clean and 
sow the seed as soon as may be, after the fruit is well matured ; 
the second, to sow it only in deep rich soil. It should be pre- 
viously trenched — if not naturally deep — at least twenty inches 
or two feet deep, and enriched with manure or compost mixed 
with ashes. This will give an abundant supply of nutriment to 
the young seedlings, the first year — without which, they become 
starved and parched, after a few inches’ growth, by our hot and 
dry summer, when they frequently fall a prey to the aphis and 
other insects at the root and top. A mellow', rich soil, whose 
depth ensures a supply of moisture, will give strong seedlings, 
which are always, at two years’ growth, fit to go into the nur- 
sery rows for budding. While a dry, thin soil will seldom 
produce good stocks, even in half a dozen years. 
The seeds should be sown precisely like those of the apple, 
in broad drills, and the treatment of the stocks, when planted 
in the rows for budding, is quite similar. Budding is almost 
universally preferred by us, for propagating the pear, and this 
tree takes so readily, that very few failures can happen to an 
experienced hand. About the first of August, in this latitude, 
is the proper season for performing this operation. 
We may add here, that one year old pear seedlings, are often 
winter-killed, when the autumn has not been such as to ripen 
the wood thoroughly. A few branches of evergreens, or some 
slight covering laid along the rows, will prevent this. Or, they 
may be laid in by the heels, in a sheltered place. 
The thorn makes very good stocks for the pear, except, that 
if grafted above ground, the tree is often apt to be broken off at 
the point of union, by high winds. This is obviated by grafting 
a little below the surface. Grafting on the thorn is a very use- 
