1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
t63 
essential principles of pear culture 
In the Hudson River Valley. 
STANDARD TREES ONLY.—These observations 
have reference to the pear as grown on standards 
only. Dwarfs were unsatisfactory to us for market 
purposes, and were virtually discarded several years 
ago. I have grown the Orientals—in a testing way 
only. Their inferior quality rendered them of no 
value to us, as our efforts are directed to the produc¬ 
tion of high-quality fruit for the New York market. 
The essential principle in the successful growing of 
the finer tj'pe of pears commercially as 1 see it is 
somewhat as follows: Suitable soil and location; 
proper methods of cultivation and fertilization; the 
control of insect pests and diseases, and last, but not 
least, the right varieties. As to soil, I prefer a deep 
friable clay loam; one that either is naturally or 
artificially well drained. Such a soil absorbs surplus 
rainfall rapidly, and is retentive of moisture during 
periods of severe drought, when under good tillage. 
A soil rich in mineral rather than vegetable matter 
is to be desired. Some varieties succeed very well on 
heavy clay, but I do not think it an ideal soil. I have 
had finest colored fruit on land that is strongly im¬ 
pregnated with iron, whether due to this or not 1 am 
not prepared to say. A location that 
gives good air drainage is necessary, as 
such insures us to a certain extent from 
damage by fogs and frost. I^ow lands 
for this reason are objectionable, as it 
favors fungous troubles, such as scab 
and leaf spot; also clouded fruit. 
CULTURE AND FERTILIZERS.—It 
is hardly necessary to mention the 
necessity of thorough cultivation. Many 
years of experience have shown us so 
absolutely must this course be followed 
in this section of the country, to pro¬ 
duce good results, that no other course 
is considered. Orchards may live and 
produce irregular crops of inferior fruit 
under neglect. I deem it important in a 
bearing orchard that the trees, and they 
alone, should occupy the ground. No 
crops whatever except cover crops, un¬ 
less your trees are farther apart than 
the usual distance used in planting, 
which is 20 feet each way. We sow 
cover crops from latter part of June up 
to August 1, depending on conditions. In 
the matter of fertilization I depend on 
phosphoric acid and potash mostly, us¬ 
ing Crimson clover as a source of nitro¬ 
gen. Use muriate of potash, acid phos¬ 
phate and bone meal. Use no stable 
manure. I am very careful about the 
supply of nitrogen. Available nitrogen 
in large quantities is a dangerous ele¬ 
ment in a pear orchard, as it stimulates 
excessive wood growth, and renders it 
more susceptible to the disease that is 
the bane of all orchardists, the blight. 
1 have found that I can make an excep¬ 
tion to this rule, in the case of old bear¬ 
ing beckel trees, especially where they 
are growing on warm, light soil (which 
by the way, is the ideal soil for this old 
favorite). An extra supply of nitrogen 
under these conditions seems to have no 
unfavorable effect on the tree, and will 
generally result in larger fruit. The 
control of various insect enemies is very 
important, and a failure to meet this 
condition promptly will result in disas¬ 
ter. Methods are so well-known as to 
need no mention here. Blight has unquestionably 
been the hardest problem to orchardists, and is to¬ 
day, and more loss has attended its ravages than all 
other troubles combined. We endeavor to hold it in 
check by cutting out on the very first appearance, and 
persistently follow up this treatment as long as any 
vestige of it remains, going over orchards two or 
three times a week if necessary. One can neglect any¬ 
thing else better than this. 
VARIETIES.—A short list fills the bill. We have 
grown over 60 varieties in years past, which are at 
least 45 too many. The only desirable earls’^ market 
pear I have found is Manning’s Elizabeth. I believe 
the first portion of the name is dropped, and it is 
now Elizabeth. The next in order of ripening is the 
Bartlett, and where cold storage is available, so that 
the grower is not forced to rush them on a frequently 
overloaded market, it is preeminently the foremost 
market pear to-day. Seckel, where it succeeds well, 
is all that can be desired. Not as uniform a bearer 
as the Bartlett, it is a more vigorous grower, health¬ 
ful in wood and foliage, and the fruit is the standard 
of excellence, and is a favorite in the market. Bose 
follows closely after the Seckel, and is a fruit of un¬ 
qualified excellence, rapidly becoming a favorite in 
the markets. It should be top-worked on some good, 
strong-growing variety, as it is a hard tree to estab¬ 
lish in the orchard, as we receive it from the nur¬ 
series. It is a moderate regular bearer of uniformly 
fine fruit. Were I to add a later variety I think I 
should select the Clairgeau; when properly thinned 
the quality is improved; were the quality a little high¬ 
er I would think more of it. 
AS TO PRUNING.—I aim to keep tree in good 
shape, somewhat open; have no inflexible rule, some 
varieties requiring different methods from others. 
Better do too little than too much. The essential 
points that I would emphasize for successful growing 
after an orchard reaches the bearing period may be 
summed up as follows: First, the control of insect 
pests and fungous diseases, which is virtually, with 
the improved methods of spraying, within our reach, 
and. second, the control of the blight. The latter has 
been the rock on which many orchardists have been 
wrecked. Here is where the orchardist must exercise 
discrimination and good judgment. Cultivation and 
fertility are all-important in the production of fine 
fruit, but cannot be carried to an extreme, otherwise 
disastrous results may follow, as we are all aware 
to our sorrow. A sod-bound orchard that is practical- 
’iTiE p.Arr THAT nlvkii fails. Fui. •;<». 
ly making no growth is in positively the safest pos¬ 
sible condition during an attack of this malady, but 
in this condition we cannot expect favorable results 
in fruit production, and cannot consider this method, 
but endeavor to pursue the middle course, aiming for 
a moderate growth of well-ripened wood. Stop cul¬ 
tivation the last of June if the season is wet, and sow 
cover crop, or if weather is dr 3 % continue cultivation 
until the latter part of July, when cover crop is sown, 
thus tending to check growth and favoring an earliei- 
maturing of the wood. I have made this trouble 
somewhat piominent in these notes, for the reason 
that in over 45 years’ experience in the culture of this 
fruit, this has been our hardest enemy to fight. 
Orange Co., N. Y. .i. a. cornki.i,. 
The Markluim pcuch mentioned in The K. X.-Y. of 
February 23. page 124, originated with W. D. Markham, 
of Hart, Mich., a few years since, and has now become 
known as a i)rolitable market peach. It is a seedling of 
Hill’s Chili, and the fruit resembles the Late Crawford. 
Hardy ns flie Chill, it has proved a heavy and regular 
bearei-, whi< )i the Crawford l.s not. In .size and Vjeauty It 
equals the Crawford, i:. iiawi.kv .t,- sox.s. 
J'^'ennvillc, Mich. __ 
AN OLD APPLE ORCHARD. 
Its Varieties and How Cared For. 
In 1855 I went to live on a farm where was an or¬ 
chard of 20 apple trees that had been dug from hedges 
and various places—wild trees, set out and grafted. 
Ten of these trees were then more than 30 years old, 
but thrifty; the other 10, recently set out. I left the 
place in 1895. Only three of the trees had died, and 
during the period of 40 years there w'as but one sea¬ 
son we did not have all the apples we needed and 
plenty to give awajq A number of the trees had been 
regrafted, as better varieties came into being. Every 
Fall, when the cowyard was cleaned out, two loads 
of the scrapings were spread around the trees (the 
fine manure) before the ground was frozen. Every 
Spring the trees were trimmed; the suckers and 
branches that crossed or “rode” being removed. The 
greater part of the time the land was in grass. The 
trees were never sprayed, because there were birds 
enough to attend to most of the fruit enemies, un’i I 
fashion decreed that ladies’ bonnets were a more fit¬ 
ting place for our feathered friends, than the orchards 
and woods where their homes had been heretofore. A 
few years ago the tent-caterpiller appeared in great 
numbers, threatening to destroy the foliage, but a 
thimbleful of powder set off with a per¬ 
cussion cap did the business for that 
pest. The varieties were Yellow Bell¬ 
flower, King, Fall Pippin, Newtown Pip¬ 
pin, Rhode Island Greening, Golden Rus- 
.set. Sour Bough, Pound Sweet, Baldwin. 
Hatlot, Garden (the last two local va¬ 
rieties), and Belmont, a fine var e y 
somewhat resembling the Bellflower, but 
more solid substance, and a prolific 
bearer, for we always had to remove a 
part of the fruit while small, in order to 
keep the branches from breaking off. 
The scions came from Ohio. Our apples 
were generally fair, and as we had a cool 
cellar where nothing else was kept, we 
often had a few specimens when the 
new fruit matured. We always had 
apples enough “to be comfortable.” 
Your arithmetic will tell you that half 
of the trees were more than 70 years old, 
and when I left, these trees were still 
thrifty looking, bidding fair to become 
centenarians. I don’t know wheth¬ 
er there is anything especially unusual 
about these facts; I send them so as to • 
find out whether it is a common thing 
to find a number of healthy, fruitful 
apple trees “three score and ten" years 
of age? GEO. HORTON TERRY. 
Suffolk Co., N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—^Let’s hear of other veteran 
trees—especially about their habits and 
care! 
APPLE TREES CROWDED. 
1 see on page 102, issue of February 
lt.>. a description of what is called a new 
plan for large crops of apples. Does Mr. 
Hoyt know of an orchard 25 or 30 years 
old on which this plan has been tried, 
or is the article theoretical? In 1866 and 
1867, while yet a boy, I planted an or¬ 
chard somewhat on this plan, and I 
know of another in this neighborhood 
planted about the same time. My broth¬ 
er owned the orchard I planted, and 
owns it j’et. It was never cultivated, 
but was thoroughly mulched with forest 
leaves. It commenced to bear the third yeai’, and has 
borne every year since. But when the time came to 
thin the orchard .Mother refused to allow a single tree 
to be cut. Now this orchard is spoiled and we must 
plant another. 
In the case of the other orchard, the man who 
planted it sold the farm before the trees were big 
enough to thin. 'Fhe new owner, like my mother, 
could not think of cutting down a thrifty apple tree, 
and so that orchard is played out when it ought to 
be at its best. I have read of orchards planted 33 
feet one way and 16feet the other to be thinned 
to 33 feet when the trees touched. I don’t know how 
it worked in practice. 1 like the theory, but would 
like to know how it works in practice. My own ex¬ 
periment, and my neighbor’s, failed through no fault 
of ours. Can we not hear from some one who has 
given close planting a fair trial? What a difference 
locality makes! Owing to a local nursery 30 to 40 
years ago, we have specimens of almost all kinds of 
apples here. The four kinds of Winter apples that I 
shall plant are Northern Spy, Hubbardston, Spitzen- 
berg and Baldwin. r. h. i ee. 
Carroll Co., Ohio. 
R. N.-Y. —Mr. Hoyt will liave a second article on 
this subject next week. 
