36G 
[Decembe n, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
... . .... . . . .. . . 
Re-Grafting' Pear Trees. 
A correspondent, who does not succeed with 
the Duchess cYAngouleme pear, and whose Vir- 
galieus crack badly, wishes to know what to do 
with his trees. Shall he cut them down and 
plant anew, or can he graft over his old trees'? 
If our friend’s trees are on the quince-stock, 
we must express our surprise at his ill success 
with the Duchess, for that is considered every¬ 
where one of the best sorts for dwarf trees. 
But if lie is certain that he has treated this prop¬ 
erly, and it still refuses to come to terms, then 
let him graft over the top with other varieties. 
And we would say the same of the Virgalieu; 
though if, as is often the case, the tree itself is 
diseased, we doubt if he will ever get healthy 
and handsome fruit from it. If his trees are all 
on the quince stock, he may re-graft them with 
any of the following sorts, viz.: Louise Bonne 
de Jersey, Vicar of Winkfield, Bartlett, Beurre 
d’ Amanlis, Buffum or Belle Lucrative. If they 
are standards, he can make his own selection, 
though if he wants our judgment, let him choose 
from the following list: Madeleine, Rostiezer, 
Beurre d’ Anjou, Bartlett, Belle Lucrative (one 
of the finest of all pears,) Seckel, Flemish 
Beauty, Urbaniste, Lawrence. 
Pruning Dwarf Pear Trees. 
Mow that the labors of the farm and garden 
are partially suspended by the cold of Winter, 
we purpose to consider a few subjects which, 
though of little practical use the present month, 
will yet serve us well on the opening of Spring. 
And for to-day, we choose the management of 
the Dwarf Pear tree. Doubtless, the poor suc¬ 
cess which many persons have had in growing 
this fruit, has been owing partly to planting 
in wet and poor soils, to injudicious manuring, 
or bad tillage, or the selection of kinds unsuited 
to the quince stock; yet, not alittle of the blame, 
we think, should be charged to bad pruning. 
Let us see if we can not learn something on t his 
subject, and systematize our knowledge. 
We will take a yearling tree, such as are an¬ 
nually sent from our 
nurseries by the thous¬ 
and. The annexed cut, 
# [Fig. 1.], will represent 
it. It is to be planted 
with the point of junc¬ 
tion between the graft 
and stock (a) three inch¬ 
es below the surface of 
the ground. If it is 
vigorous in root and 
branch, we will cut it 
down to within 18 inches 
J ' of the ground, as indicat¬ 
ed at the dotted cross-line in Fig. 1, making the 
cut with an upward slant, and just above a strong 
bud. Any buds lower than' one foot from the 
ground, should be rubbed off. The object of this 
management is to get a strong growth of lower 
branches, to form the base of the pyramid—a 
thing of the greatest importance. If this end be 
not gained at first, it can not be secured after¬ 
ward. A tree well managed the first year, will 
look, in the Fall, somewhat like Fig. 2. 
If any branches next below the leading shoot at 
the top, push out stronger than the leader, (and 
they often will,) they must be nipped off by 
thumb and finger during Summer. This will 
throw the sap into the leader, and keep it al¬ 
ways the most vigorous. Sometimes the lender 
shoots off at an angle from the tree, or lops 
down from excessive growth; in either case, it 
must be raised up and kept erect by a long stake; 
let it be tied carefully so as not to chafe the bark. 
In March, or early in April of the next year, 
prune the tree by short¬ 
ening in all the branch¬ 
es, cutting the upper 
shoots most severely, 
and the lower less so, 
aiming always to pre¬ 
serve the pyramidal 
shape of the tree. It is 
the tendency of all fruit 
trees to throw the sap 
most forcibly into the 
topmost branches, pro¬ 
ducing a vigorous 
growth there, at the 
expense of the lower 
branches. But it is the design of art to re¬ 
verse this, and to give a strong growth at the 
base. Hence, the pruning knife must bear hard 
upon the upper portions of the tree and liguthly 
upon the lower. The proper pruning at this 
time may be indicated by the cross-lines in Fig. 
II. Cut back, on an average, half the growth of 
last year; at the top cut more than this, at the 
bottom less. In pruning the leader, it should be 
cut down to a strong bud on the opposite side to 
. that of last year: this will tend to keep the cen¬ 
tral trunk perpendicular. 
During the second Summer, follow substan¬ 
tially the process of last/year. Give the lower 
branches plenty of room and light, rubbing off 
any weak, superfluous shoots which push out 
among them, pinching back any branches that 
grow more rampantly than others, keeping the 
leader erect and prominent above all the other 
branches. It should be the aim of the cultiva- 
Fig. 3. 
tor, this year and every year, to form one cen¬ 
tral trunk from which all the other branches 
shall radiate ; not to allow his trees to grow up 
with several main branches like a currant bush. 
A well balanced Norway Spruce will suggest an 
ideal of the form in which a dwarf pear should 
be trained, except that the lower branches of the 
pear tree should not sweep the ground. 
If at any time a gap occurs by accident 
among the limbs of the tree, it may be filled up 
by pruning the adjoining branches to a bud on 
the side towards the gap; young shoots will 
push out in that direction. If the lower tier of 
branches incline to MOW too upright, prune them 
for a year or two to buds on the lower sides of 
their branches. Or, if they are too pendent, 
prune in the opposite way. 
These directions will show, briefly, the gener¬ 
al management of the tree at the annual Spring 
priming. There is, however, another manipu¬ 
lation of great importance, during the Summer. 
Every one must have observed that, according 
to the prevailing mode of pruning only once a 
year, we are obliged annually to cut off and 
throw away the best of the new wood and buds. 
Can we not avoid this? Yes, in a measure. We 
can, during the growing season, check the strong 
flow of sap to the extremities of the branches, 
and thus distribute it along the wood and buds 
which are to be saved at the next: pruning. For 
example; early in the month of August, go 
over the trees and bend down, and slightly 
bruise, or partly break off the ends of t he branch¬ 
es just above where they will have to be cut off 
at the Winter pruning. Let them hang during 
the rest of the Summer, as shoivn just above the 
dotted cross-lines in Fig. 3, not broken enough 
to stop the flow of sap into them, but merely to 
check it. If the branches were broken off en • 
tirely, it would cause the buds below to start 
into premature growth. In the early Spring 
pruning, take off the entire branch at the points 
shown by the cross-lines, and you will have 
plump, healthy, wood and buds left for next 
year’s use. 
The beauty of a flower bed is greatly increased 
by an appropriate edging, just as the eff ect’ of a 
jewel may be hightened by proper setting. 
There are objections to grass, box, or other 
plants, which, though not sufficient to cause them 
to be discarded, yet make some substitute desir¬ 
able, particularly where the space is limited. 
In the Agriculturist (page 178 June No.) was de¬ 
scribed a new style of bordering made of tile, 
and much used in England. One of our sub¬ 
scribers, Mr. Thomas Eardly, Essex Co., N. J., 
who is engaged in the manufacture of drain tiles, 
has acted upon the hint there given, and is now 
manufacturing various patterns of this edging. 
A drawing of one of his samples is given above. 
It is made in separate pieces, as here represent¬ 
ed, with the lower end pointed to bo easily in¬ 
troduced into the soil. The dotted line shows 
the surface of the ground. It is made of various 
patterns, and any desired style can be got up by 
sending a drawing of the kind wanted. The 
color of the specimen sent us,' is dark cream, but 
the clay can be mixed with different hues. The 
cost, wc believe, Is from 30 to 50 cents per yard, 
according to the finish. For a front yard, for 
small plots upon the lawn, and in many cases 
for the general garden, this style of edging will 
be found quite pleasing. . 
Novelties among Flowers— Green Roses— 
Double Zinnias. 
The London Gardeners’ Chronicle thus de¬ 
scribes a novelty among roses, which has been 
successfully grown in France and in England : 
Conceive, a China Rose, with every part bright 
green, deep on the outside, pallid in the, middle; 
the calyx wholly unchanged; the five natural 
petals transformed into five small, broad, green 
leaves, and all the rest of the center consisting 
