8 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST 
[ January, 
end of summer, and about the middle of September be removed to a slied ; 
so that towards the end of October, when the trees should be potted, t} ie 
compost may be in a proper state as regards dryness. If a considerable 
number of trees are proposed to be cultivated, the No. 8, or 11-incli pot, is 
to be preferred, as that is a portable size, which must be taken into con¬ 
sideration, as the trees are destined to be removed twice a-year. In potting, 
the compost should be well shaken into the mass of fibrous roots ; and 
when the pot is filled to about three-fourths of its depth, it should be 
rammed firmly down with a stout stick, and the pot then filled up, another 
ramming being given so as to leave the surface concave. Water should 
then be poured gently on till it soaks through and through the mould, and 
the operation may be considered as finished. 
The kind of Pear trees to be selected for pot culture are pyramids, 
grafted or budded on the Quince stock. These, if they have been well 
managed in the nursery, will be full of blossom buds, and their roots 
masses of fibres, so that, to use an old-fashioned gardening expression, 
they “ will not miss their moving”—which I presume is to be interpreted, 
“ their removal will not retard their growth”. They will in truth, if potted 
in November or early in December, bear a nice crop the following season. 
As soon as the trees are potted, they should be placed in the orchard house, 
stowed as thickly as possible, and the pots covered with leaves or litter to 
some 5 or 6 inches in depth. This will keep the mould in a proper state 
of moisture, and prevent injury from frost. If trees three or four years 
old are potted they may be expected to bear nice, although not full, crops 
the second year after potting, but they will not bear full crops till some six 
or seven years old. 
Their routine culture should be as follows : They may remain undis¬ 
turbed in the orchard house with their protection of leaves or litter till the 
end of March, when it should be removed, and the trees have a good 
supply of water. This treatment applies not only to freshly potted trees, but 
to those already established. Although the trees are so close that their pots 
touch each other, they may be suffered to bloom and set their fruit with¬ 
out being moved. As the Pear does not put forth its leaves to any extent 
till long after the fruit is set, no injurious crowding takes place. About 
the end of the first week in June, when in the greater portion of England 
spring frosts are over, all the trees should be removed from the orchard 
house to their summer quarters, which should be some sunny place near 
the orchard house. If the soil be moist and tenacious, the pots should be 
plunged to only two-tliirds of tlieir depth, and then covered with some light 
half-decayed manure to about 2 or 8 inches deep. If the soil of the summer 
quarters be dry and light the pots may be plunged to their rims, and the 
surface of each pot covered with decomposed manure saturated with liquid 
