1858 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
255 
and cultivating as best we can, though our modes of 
culture be different, noting the effect of climate, at¬ 
mospheric changes, character of soil and subsoil, dif¬ 
ferent modes of pruning, and in different seasons,— 
various modes of ripening and coloring pears,—the 
comparative success on the pear and quince stock, as 
as well as the varieties best suited to each; and also 
memorandum the expense attending the culture of the 
dwarf and standard trees respectively, the amount and 
value of the crops of each, and make up your minds 
not to be discouraged if hard things are said, when 
your conclusions cross the track of other observers. 
Such is the fate of pioneers, as well as reformers. Bear 
patiently all disparaging remarks, for as surely as a 
calm succeeds a storm, will the day come when we 
shall settle down in that matured experience of the 
adaptedness of but a limited number of varieties to 
the quince, so that we shall be enabled to proclaim the 
suitableness of this or that variety to that stock, with 
the same confidence that we now have that the Dutchess 
d’ Angouleme, Yicar, and Louise Bonne should only be 
grown on the quince, and that the Bartlett, Onondaga, 
Belle Lucrative, are adapted only to their native stock 
R. R. S. alludes to my orchard as being improperly 
managed. If so, my success affords the greater ground 
for encouragement, for when you shall have learned to 
do the thing just right, your reward will be proportion¬ 
ally augmented. My trees still stand erect, in vigor¬ 
ous growth, giving promise of life and good service in 
the cause. The crop of fruit has been improving in 
character and value, and doubling in quantity from 
year to year. The last year’s crop of marketable pears, 
above what was consumed in the family and given to 
friends, amounted to one hundred and seventy bushels. 
Of the pear, as a remunerating crop, I still prefer, 
as I have ever done, to say but little. Many have 
been misled by extravagant statements on this subject. 
The trumpeting of solitary instances of great success 
in cultivating; the enormous yield of some old tree 
occupying a favorable locality ; the extravagant price 
that under fortuitous circumstances was realized from 
the crop, being made the basis of a calculation as to 
what would be the returns for an acre, misleads by 
producing impressions experience will rarely confirm. 
Fruit growing to be profitable, must be made a bu¬ 
siness ; and to carry it on successfully requires as in¬ 
timate and thorough acquaintance in all its details, as 
mercantile of manufacturing business. It is not suffi¬ 
cient for one to knowhow to grow fruit; he must 
also acquaint himself with the demands of the mar¬ 
ket and direct his energies in the channel to meet 
those demands. Oftentimes will it devolve on the fruit 
culturist to create the facilities for getting his fruit op¬ 
portunely into market to realize its value; and then, 
too, he must know how to get it up so as to give it the 
best possible character as it goes out into the world. 
While this is true of all fruit, it is especially so of the 
pear. There is probably no article of merchandize the 
marketable value of which so much depends upon the 
condition in which it goes into market, as that of fruit. 
In the last Report of the Mass Hort. Society, we are 
told that Mr. Gordon of Brighton, obtained for his pears 
$10 per bushel, they being properly ripened—while 
those of a neighbor, equally good, at his side, sold but 
for three dollars. Equally important is it, that we 
know the value of labor, and how to direct it, that the 
cost of taking care of one’s trees do not exceed the 
value of the crop. 
The question is still a mooted one, whether the 
growing of pears can be made profitable at the pres¬ 
ent price of labor, unlese much of the work can be 
done with a horse. To avail one’s self of this, the 
tree must have some other than a pyramidal form. 
Horticulturists are urged on every side to go into the 
growing of fruits on an extended scale, stimulated by 
the promise of large profits ; but not a word of caution 
is uttered as to the form of the tree adapted to the or¬ 
chard with the view of abating the cost of its cultiva¬ 
tion ; and hence the pyramid , so beautiful, so appro¬ 
priate to the garden, is transferred to the orchard. 
Mr. Hovey’s beautiful rows of Dwarf pyramids, cap¬ 
tivate the eye, but the annual expense of forking the 
ground—with the repeated hoeings to eradicate the 
weeds, is a shade in the picture that escapes observa¬ 
tion. Nothing probably at the present crisis is more 
needed than some carefully conducted experiments as 
to the comparative cost of culture of the pyramidal 
and half standard form of tree I. M. Ward, Newark , 
N. J 
To Destroy Worms in Orchards. 
Editors Co. Gent. —I see in your paper, a way to 
destroy worms’ nests on fruit trees, such as common 
soap and whitewash. Now the best way that I ever 
saw, and the surest remedy without injury to the tree, 
is to take a gun and put in a good charge of powder, 
and put in a paper wad, and stand about eight feet 
from the tree. This will blow the nest entirely from 
the tree, and rid them at once without injuring the 
tree in the least. If any one doubts it, let him try it 
and he will be satisfied that I am right. R. Risley. 
Hockanum , Ct. 
-—-- 
Foot Distemper in Cattle. 
Messrs. Editors —Will you allow me to inquire of 
your readers for a cure for the foot distemper in cattle 1 
There are two diseases quite unlike each other, one 
affecting the foot between the hoofs, which is generally 
cured by an application of caustic, or some such medi¬ 
cine. The other disease makes the animal lame, with¬ 
out any perceptible cause, for one or two days ; then 
the foot and ankle begin to swell and become very 
much inflamed, and very painful, continuing in that 
way a long time. Will some of your medical readers 
prescribe a mode of treatment most likely to stop the 
disease, and prevent so much pain to the animal. 
Lewis Bailey. Moray Farm. 
How to Dry Rhuharlb. 
Messrs. L Tucker & Son— In answer to your cor¬ 
respondent who inquires whether “ you have had any 
experience in drying rhubarb for future use,” please 
say to him that it is done by simply preparing it pre¬ 
cisely as for pies, peeling the stalks and cutting in small 
pieces. Dry it in the sun or moderately warm oven. 
We think its flavor decidedly improved by drying. 
E. R. Midd., Ct. 
Cement for Stopping Leaks. 
A composition of four pounds of rosin, one pint of 
linseed oil, and one ounce of red lead, applied hot with 
a brush, will stop leaks in roofs, water casks, etc. So 
says a correspondent of the Lynn (Mass.) News , who 
has given it several years trial. 
