1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
77 
PEAR CULTURE FOR PROFIT. 
Son- and Varieties. —I have found 
that the best soil for pears is a clay loam, 
that is, where the loam overlies a clay 
subsoil. Pears will also grow and pro¬ 
duce well on what is known as a gravel 
loam, with a clay subsoil. The trees 
will not do well on peaty or black muck 
soil. These tend to unhealthy growth, 
and the fruit is of inferior quality. If 
the soil is not naturally dry, it must be 
made so by tile drains. Trees will not 
thrive in ground which is soaked with 
water. Do not locate an orchard on low 
land, but select a situation where there 
is plenty of sunshine and a free circula¬ 
tion of air. Where the orchard is ex¬ 
posed to west and northwest winds, I 
favor windbreaks. 
In selecting trees, accept only those 
that have good, sound roots, clean bark, 
and have made a strong growth during 
the past season. The following varie¬ 
ties are to be preferred for a commercial 
orchard—Standards, Clapp’s Favorite, 
Bartlett, Seekel, Sheldon, Bose, Clair- 
geau, Anjou and Winter Nelis. On the 
quince, Howell, Superfin, Duchess and 
Anjou. I will add Kieffer, although it 
is not a favorite of mine. The varieties 
named ripen in succession. 
Working and Planting. —The soil 
should be thoroughly worked the year 
before setting out the orchard. This 
can best be done by planting corn, pota¬ 
toes, or some other hoed crop. The 
grade will then be as nearly as possible 
natural, so that the trees may be set at 
a uniform depth in the ground. Before 
the tree is placed in the ground, it should 
be trimmed of all surplus and damaged 
roots, and the top should be headed 
back. This heading should be, at least, 
equal to the trimming of the roots, and 
it will do no harm if it is a little more. 
I head back to one or two buds, believ¬ 
ing that the remaining buds will push 
forth stronger than if a larger number 
are left. The hole for the tree should 
be dug large enough so that the roots 
can be spread out without being bent. 
If some of the surface soil is thrown in 
first, it will do no harm. Care should 
be taken not to plant too deep. Two 
inches below the collar, for dwarfs, and 
even with the collar, for standards, is 
sufficient. Nothing is gained in too deep 
planting, as, in the cold soil, the roots 
will eventually come to the surface. 
Fine soil should be well sifted in among 
the roots, so that the space will all be 
filled. For Bartlett, Clairgeau, Sheldon, 
Bose and Winter Nelis, 15 x 20 feet apart 
is sufficient; Anjou, Lawrence, Seekel 
and Kieffer should be 20x25 feet. On 
the dwarf, 15 feet is sufficient for all 
varieties. 
The young orchard should be thor¬ 
oughly worked by planting it to some 
hoed crop. If the fertility of the soil is 
such that it will produce a good farm 
crop, no manure or other fertilizer need 
be applied for the first few years, after 
which the ground should be enriched by 
applying potash, phosphoric acid and 
nitrogen, the last furnished by plowing 
under Crimson clover or well-decomposed 
barnyard manure. 
Treating the Tree. —At about five 
years, the trees will begin to show signs 
of fruiting, which should be regulated 
by trimming. The trees should be 
trimmed systematically, according to 
the form that the grower has decided 
upon. I prefer the pyramid, and trim 
to a leader. This is done by cutting 
the lower branches to four or five buds, 
those higher a little shorter, and so on 
to the leader, which should be left longer. 
The cutting back and thinning out must 
continue annually, to obtain the highest 
results. Whether this is done closely, 
must depend upon the variety and the 
vigor of the trees. Some trees have a 
tendency to set to fruit more than do 
others. Trimming should be done dur¬ 
ing the dormant season which, in western 
New York, is between November 1 and 
March 1. No trimming should be done 
after the sap starts. If the tree has be¬ 
come stunted and exhausted, from over¬ 
bearing or other cause, it can, if not too 
far gone, be revived by cutting back into 
the old wood, and allowing the tree to 
make a top of new wood. 
After the trees have come into full 
bearing, which is at the age of from 
eight to twelve years, no farm crops 
should be grown among them. Plow the 
orchard during May, but never more than 
three inches deep ; I do not approve of 
plowing any deeper, as it cuts off many 
of the pear roots. Then move the soil 
often by the use of a cultivator or spring- 
tooth harrow. By this treatment, the 
soil will be kept in mellow, moist condi¬ 
tion. Under no circumstances should it 
be allowed to become hard and cracked. 
Feeding and Thinning. —The orchard 
should now be in full bearing, and the 
fertilizers should, consequently, be ap¬ 
plied more liberally. I cover my orchard 
every second year with a light covering 
of well-rotted barnyard manure. In the 
alternate years, I plow under Crimson 
clover, adding to this a liberal amount 
of muriate of potash, applied by sowing 
broadcast, by hand, and worked in by 
the cultivator. I have sprayed for the 
last six or eight years with varying 
success. I believe in spraying, when 
necessary, but the person doing the work 
should have a knowledge of what he is 
spraying for, what to use, and how and 
when to use it. This is important to in¬ 
sure success. 
The thinning of fruit is absolutely 
essential, in many cases. The work 
should be done early in the growing 
season and, wherever a tree is over¬ 
loaded, a sufficient amount of the fruit 
should be removed to relieve it thor¬ 
oughly. The money expended in thinning 
is amply repaid in the protection of the 
trees, and the superior quality of the 
fruit. Thin whenever a tree is over¬ 
loaded, and bear in mind that, with 
judicious thinning of the fruit, and care¬ 
ful precautions to prevent the trees from 
overbearing, annual crops wiU be the 
result. Nearly all kinds of pears should 
be gathered at least one week before 
they naturally ripen on the trees, as 
pears allowed to ripen upon the tree, 
lose much of their substance and quality. 
DAVID K BELL. 
During the cold weather of New Year’s Day, 
we had a singular accident at the farmhouse. 
The house cat sat sunning herself on the window 
seat, looking through the window. A great St. 
Bernard dog saw the cat, and made a jump at 
her, smashing the glass and, of course, missing 
the cat. With the thermometer at zero outdoors, 
the temperature inside rapidly fell 20 or more 
degrees. The dog escaped without even scratch¬ 
ing his nose. 
The Fruit Grower, Fruiterer and Florist, Lon¬ 
don, says that, to meet the constantly increasing 
traffic in flowers from the Riviera, the French 
railway company serving that district has de¬ 
cided to put on, during the coming season, special 
flower express trains from Nice to Paris. It is 
anticipated that these special trains will enable 
the French and English markets to be kept well 
supplied (and promptly) with the cut bloom of 
the extensive South of France flower districts. 
Some cough mixtures 
smother the cough. But the 
next breeze fans it into life 
again. 
Better put the cough out. 
That is, better go deeper 
and smother the fires of in¬ 
flammation. Troches can¬ 
not do this. Neither can 
plain cod-liver oil. 
But Scott’s Emulsion can. 
The glycerine soothes and 
makes comfortable; the hy- 
pophosphites give power and 
stability to the nerves; and 
the oil feeds and strengthens 
the weakened tissues. 
50 c. and $ 1 . 00 , all druggists. 
SCOTT & BOWNE, Chemists, New York. 
PLANTS mGROW. 
If you want all the tested new Tarletlee 
m well ms the standard old sorts in straw¬ 
berries, I can suit you. I have 90 acres in 
strawberry plants. Strong, rigorous 
plants with big bnnehes of fibrous roots, 
absolutely free from disease. Can sell you 
A DOZEN OR A MILLION 
right fresh from the ground. No cellar or cold 
storage plants here. 32-page catalogue FREE. 
W. P. ALLEN, JR.. Box44.Sallsbni7.Md. 
IEW STRAWBERRIES! 
■ H Ran. Strong, healthy plants FRESH DUG and 
GUARANTEED to all parts U.S. and Canada. We 
also make a Specialty of Choice Michigan Crown 
SEED POTATOES ■ St C atalogiFe ' e FREE 
and note what our customers in many states say about 
our carefully erownuind jgradedistock. 
FLANSBURGli & PIERSON, Leslie, Mich. 
The President 
Wilder Currant 
heads the list as a producer and 
a money-maker. Plant no other. 
Prices given on application. 
S. D. WILLARD, Geneva, N. Y. 
BIG EARLY PEACHES 
E very successful 
farmer who raises fruits, 
vegetables, berries or 
grain, knows by experience 
the importance of having a 
large percentage of 
Potash 
in his fertilizers. If the fer¬ 
tilizer is too low in Potash the 
harvest is sure to be small, and 
of inferior quality. 
Our books tell about the proper fertilizers 
for all crops, and we will gladly send them 
free to any farmer. 
GERflAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau St., New York. 
are Waddell and Carman. Free catalogue. List of 
big sweet chestnuts, Japanese plums, big berries, 
asparagus roots, etc., cheap. 
J. II. HALL, South Glastonbury, Conn. 
Prilit Tr000 -PBACU 'TREES at special prices. 
riUll lluCO Catalogue free. Peach Culture, de¬ 
scribing 10 varieties and other valuable Information, 
Price, 50c. To K. N.-Y. readers by mall for eight 2-c. 
stamps. West Jersey Nursery Co., Bridgeton, N. J. 
| An A II PLUMS, 5c. All kinds of stock CHEAP. 
JHln ll BBLIANCB nursery, Box 10, Geneva.N.Y 
JUST OUT. 
The annual price-list of Call’s Nurs- 
CTRAWBERRY 
’ PLANTS. 
Largest 
and choicest stock in the world (50,000,000. 100 
varieties.) Lowest prices. Safely and cheaply 
delivered anywhere on continent. Catalogue free. 
CONTINENTAL PLANT COMPANY, Strawberry 
Specialists, 34 South Street, Kittrell, N. C. 
CTDJIUIDCDDV PLANTS. Sixty varieties. 
W I 11II ™ Dkllfl I $1 per 1,000 up. Catalogue 
free. A. J. McMATH, Onley, Va. 
Gladstone Strawberry Plants! 
this variety In every State in the Union, 1 will on re¬ 
ceipt of $ 1 . send one dozen plants, prepaid, to any ad¬ 
dress. Send for cir. F. F. MEUCBUON, Catawlssa, Pa 
eries is now ready for our readers, and 
all who are wishing 1 to set fruit trees 
this year will do well to send for it. If 
you wish to secure the best and health¬ 
iest trees that can he grown, write 
them for price-list. Hundreds of our 
leading Fruit Growers write that the 
finest Fruit trees that they have ever 
seen, were received from Call’s Nurseries, 
Perry, O. They make a specialty of 
dealing direct with the Farmers. 
B ERRY PLANTS, that grow vigorous,guaranteed 
true to name, all the new & Standard s jrts. None 
finer; cheap. By the dozen or 100,000. Catalogue 
free. J. W. HALL, Marion Station, Md. 
I I your Strawberry and Raspberry Plants 
L> ■ from the Ridge Plant Farm. All grown 
on new ground. Send for price-list. 
G. W. WINCHEL, Proprietor, Tobinsport, Ind. 
if you give our wonderful new straw¬ 
berry a suitable name. Catalogue free. 
1,000 var. T. C. Kevltt, Athenia, N. J. 
PI ANT^ -Raspberry and Strawberry Plants at a 
iLHIllO very low price. Our catalogue tells all. 
WM. CARSON & SONS, Rutland, Ohio. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS, BEST SST" 
Circular free, send for it. B. King;, Tewksbury, Mass 
Choice Plants 
Over 00 varieties. Strawberries, Raspberries and 
blackberries, grown from new beds on rich so 1 . with 
superior culture. Our list includes some of the fol¬ 
lowing: Strawberries—Emma, Hellin No. 3. Bryant, 
Nick Ohmer. Carrie. Manwell, Margaret, Seaford, 
Phoenix, Ridgeway, Bismarck and Clyde. Raspber¬ 
ries—Columbian, Loudon, Columbia, Eureka, Hil- 
born, Conrath, Kansas and Gregg. Catalogue de 
scribing new method for growing plants. FREE. 
C. W. GRAHAM, Afton, N. Y. 
Place to get reliable, new 
fruits, true to name, is at 
their original home. Hence 
f or “ G R E E N V IL L E ” 
Apple, “GREENVILLE” Strawberry 
and “ELDORADO” Blackberry. Address 
E. M. BUECHLY, Greenville, Ohio. 
"STRAWBERRY PLANTS THAT CHOW.” 
Why pay fancy prices for plants, when you can get just as good or better at from $1.50 to $2.50 per 1 000. 
My FREE, 1899 Catalogue lists all the later Introductions and standard sorts at right prices. 
Send for it. C. K. WHITTEN, Bridgman, Mich. 
WE SAVE FARMERS 40 PER CENT, fertilizers. 
We sell you direct—actually pay you saleman’s expenses and agent’s profit. Write for 
free samples and book. The Scientific Fertilizer Co., Pittsburg, Pa. 
JADOO FIBRE*™ 
JADOO LIQUID 
ARE INVALUABLE TO THE GROWERS OF 
Vegetables, Fruit, Plauts or Flowers 
SEND FOR CATALOGUE AND PRICES. 
For Sale by all prominent Seedsmen, and by 
THE AMERICAN JADOO COMPANY, 
815 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 
