THE PEAR. 
41S 
After the blight, the other diseases which affect the pear tree 
are of little moment. They are chiefly the same as those to 
which the apple is liable, the same insects occasionally affecting 
both trees, and we therefore refer our readers to the section on 
the apple tree. 
There is, however, a slug worm , which occasionally does great 
damage on the leaves of the pear tree, which it sometimes en- 
tirely destroys. This slug is the Selandria cerasi of Harris. It 
appears on the upper side of the leaves of the pear tree, from 
the middle of June till the middle of July. It is nearly half an 
inch long when fully grown, olive coloured, tapering from the 
head to the tail, not much unlike in shape a miniature tadpole 
The best destructive for this insect is Mr. Haggerston’s mixture 
of whale oil soap and water,* thoroughly showered or sprinkled 
over the leaves. In the absence of this, we have found ashes 
or quicklime, siflcd or sprinkled over the leaves, early in the 
morning, to have an excellent effect in ridding the trees of this 
vigilant enemy. 
Varieties. The varieties of pear have so multiplied within 
the last thirty years, that they may almost be considered end- 
less. Of the new varieties, Belgium has produced the great- 
est number of high quality ; England and France many of 
excellence; and, lastly, quite a number of valuable sorts 
have originated in this country, to which some additions are 
made annually. The latter, as a matter of course, are 
found even more generally adapted to our climate than any 
foreign sorts. But we believe the climate of the middle 
States is so nearly like that of Belgium, that the pear is 
grown here as a standard to as great perfection as in any other 
country. 
More than 7 00 kinds of pears, collected from all parts of the 
world, have been proved in the celebrated experimental garden 
of the Horticultural Society of London. Only a small propor- 
tion of these -have been found of first rate quality, and a very 
large number of them are }f little or no value. The great diffi- 
culty, even yet, seems to be, to decide which are the really 
valuable sorts, worth universal cultivation. We shall not, per- 
haps, arrive at this point, in this country, for several years — not 
until all the most deserving sorts have had repeated trials — and 
the difficulty is always increased by the fact of the difference of 
climate and soil. A variety may be of second quality in New- 
England, and of the first merit in Pennsylvania or Ohio. This, 
however, is true only to a very limited extent, as the fact that 
most sorts of the first character receive nearly the same praise 
in Belgium, England, and all parts of this country, clearly 
proves. High flavour, handsome appearance, productiveness, 
* See page 54. 
