THE PEAR. 
411 
ful practice for strong clayey soils, as, on such stocks, the pear 
may be grown with success, when it would not otherwise thrive. 
It also comes rather earlier into bearing. Grafting on the 
mountain ash is thought to render the pear more hardy, and it 
retards the blossoming so much as to prevent their being in- 
jured by spring frosts. The pear is sometimes budded on the 
apple, but it is then usually very short-lived. 
For rendering the pear dwarf, the Quince stock is almost 
universally used, as the pear unites readily with it, becomes 
quite dwarf in habit, and bears very early. Some large grow- 
ing pears — as the Duchess of Angouleme — extremely liable to 
be blown off the tree, bear much better on the quince stock, 
and others are considerably improved in flavour by it. The 
dwarf pear, however, it must be confessed, rather belongs to the 
small garden of the amateur, than to the orchardist, or him who 
desires to have regular large crops, and long-lived -trees. The 
dwarf tree is usually short-lived, seldom enduring more than a 
dozen years in bearing — but it is a pretty and economical way 
of growing a good many sorts, and getting fruit speedily, in a 
small garden.* 
The pear not being very abundantly supplied with fibrous 
roots, should never be transplanted, of large size, from the nur- 
sery. Small, thrifty plants, five or six feet high, are much to 
be preferred. 
Soil, situation, and culture. The best soil for this fruit 
tree, is a strong loam of moderate depth, on a dry subsoil. The 
pear will, indeed, adapt itself to as great a variety of soils as 
any fruit tree, but, in unfavourable soils, it is more liable to 
suffer from disease than any other. Soils that are damp during 
any considerable portion of the year, are entirely unfit for the 
pear tree ; and soils that are over-rich and deep, like some of 
the western alluvials, force the tree into such over luxuriant 
growth, that its wood does not ripen well, and is liable to be 
killed by winter blight. The remedy, in this case, consists in 
planting the trees on slightly raised hillocks — say eight inches 
above the level of the surface, and using lime as a manure.- 
Soils that are too light, on the other hand, may be improved 
by trenching, if the subsoil is heavier, or by top dressing with 
heavy muck and river mud, if it is not. 
In a climate rather cold for the pear, or on a cold soil, it is 
advantageous to plant on a southern slope, but in the middle 
States, in warm soils, we do not consider a decidedly southern 
exposure so good as other rather cooler ones. 
* Whether the Pear can be successfully cultivated on the Quince for mar* 
ket is yet a debateable question ; but that dwarfs are a great acquisition 
to the garden where large standards are inadmissible is unquestioned. 
We believe the promise of some varieties on quince warrants the expecta 
tion that they will be found profitable for general cultivation. 
