86 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
March 
Grafting the Tree-Paeonia. 
Loudon, in his Surburban Horticulturist, describes 
a mode of grafting the fine varieties of the Tree Paeo- 
nia on the roots of the common 
herbaceous varieties. Accord¬ 
ing to his method, the work is 
done at midsummer, and the 
grafted roots-inserted in a bed 
of tan, to be taken up and 
potted after they have thrown 
out roots by mid-autumn, and 
placed in a cold frame to re¬ 
main through winter. 
The writer has been suc¬ 
cessful by performing the work 
early in the spring, before the 
buds of the graft have started. 
In the annexed figure, a exhi¬ 
bits a portion of the root of the common double crim¬ 
son paeonia, not split, as in common cleft grafting, but 
with a long acute notch cut out of the tuber with a 
sharp knife. The graft is cut so as to fit this notch 
exactly as represented at b. It is then secured by bass 
and covered with wax, and placed in fine rich mellow 
earth, even with the upper bud of the graft. The 
Tree Pasonia, as is well known, is of very slow in¬ 
crease, and is usually sold at a dollar or two a plant. 
The roots or tubers of several of the herbaceous varie¬ 
ties may be had in abundance. In the experiments al¬ 
ready performed, most of them have grown and done 
well; but the work must be done as early in the sea¬ 
son as practicable/and before the buds have swollen, 
which usually takes place very early in the Tree 
Paeonia. 
Fire Blight—the Columbia Pear. 
The remarks on these two subjects, under the Hor¬ 
ticultural head last month, not having been seen by the 
editor of this department till after publication, he 
wishes to remark, in addition to what is there stated 
relative to the pear blight—that he is fully confirmed 
from past observation, that the immediate cause of this 
disaster is in some seasons chiefly the hot rays of the 
sun. It is however not at all improbable, that there 
may be a predisposing cause independent of this,.but 
this latter must remain for the present somewhat in¬ 
volved in conjecture. Some notice of the observa¬ 
tions leading to the belief in the destructive influence 
of solar heat, were published in the first number of 
the current volume. 
It may be proper, in connexion with this subject, to 
point out a single error in the remarks of a highly in¬ 
telligent correspondent of the Horticulturist, where he 
attributes scalding of the sap to the concentration of 
the sun’s rays, “ by the shower drops of water sus¬ 
pended in the tree, forming so many lenses .” Now, 
the diameter of a water drop is scarcely the tenth of 
an inch; its focal point is only about one half its diam¬ 
eter from the drop, or the twentieth of an inch. It is 
hardly admissible to suppose that these drops hanging 
in the tree, should be situated just the twentieth of an 
inch from the trunk. If the distance were only the 
twentieth of an inch more, the rays instead of being 
brought to a focus, would be widely dissipated. Again, 
in a lens of so short a focal length, the diameter of the 
focal point would be less than one thousandth part of an 
inch—so exceedingly small /as not to possess any effec¬ 
tive power in heating even the epidermis. 
The Columbia Pear has borne for several years in 
Western New-York, and the quality of the fruit has 
corresponded precisely with that of specimens received 
from Massachusetts. It is a vigorous, productive 
and very handsome pear-—there is scarcely a variety 
that will compare with it in handsome, rounded, sym¬ 
metrical form. This, with its large size, must have 
given it chiefly its high fame, for we have never been 
able to place it higher for quality than second rate. 
It is to be presumed that the high commendations be¬ 
stowed upon it in the “ Fruits and Fruit Trees,” must 
refer- to.specimens ripened farther south or in the neigh¬ 
borhood of New-York city. 
Abstract of Remarks on Various Pears, 
DESCRIBED IN THE FIRST VOL. OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 
The following abstract of remarks, in the first vol. of 
the Horticulturist, on various pears, v^as made out origin¬ 
ally for my own information and convenience. Think¬ 
ing it might be quite as useful to many others as to my¬ 
self, I concluded to send it to you for publication. It 
embraces the substance of all that has been said on 
most pears of note, by the experienced gardening and 
pomological contributors of that valuable journal, du¬ 
ring one year. 
Opinions relative to the same variety of fruit, vary 
essentially in different sections of the country, and even 
in the same neighborhood- By placing these different 
opinions, as far as they have been elicited, side by side, 
the inquirer by comparing them, can more easily arrive 
at its true merits. With the name of each writer, where¬ 
ver it first appears, I have given his place of residence. 
Thepears are arranged in alphabetical order. The fig¬ 
ures in brackets refer to the page of the Horticulturist. 
At the conclusion of the remarks on each pear, I have 
added its time of ripening, from Downing’s “Fruits and 
Fruit Trees.” 
Andbjews —This pear Cheever Newhall of Dorches¬ 
ter, Mass. (415) considers a fruit of the very first mer¬ 
it. J. J. Thomas of Macedon, N. Y. (480) says it is 
a fine pear—a great and early bearer—fruit handsome; 
but only second rate in richness, and drops from the 
tree usually before it is sufficiently matured to ripen 
well in the house. Early in Sept. 
Bartlett —Mr. Downing says of this pear (13)— 
“The Bartlett pear from its unusual productiveness, 
size, excellence and beauty, as an early fruit, added to 
its vigor as a tree, and the rapidity with which it comes 
in to bearing, has actually been the object of a sort of 
mania among those largely engaged in pear planting, 
within the last three years.” Col. Wilder, Mr. John¬ 
son and Mr. Ives, (278) all near Boston, coincide in 
declaring this to be “all in all,” u the best summer pear.” 
Downing in speaking of it again (279) says: “The 
Bartlett is almost a universal favorite. This is ow¬ 
ing not simply to its size and good quality, but also to 
its regular productiveness, joined to its invaluable 
habit of adapting itself to every soil, and bearing while 
the tree is yet very young.” Last of August, and Sep¬ 
tember. 
Belle de Brussels —This is a fine, early, French 
pear, but recently introduced into this country. P. 
Barry, of Rochester, N. Y., (446) thinks it unsurpass¬ 
ed by any summer pear of native or foreign origin that 
he has yet seen. “The tree,” he says, “is vigorous, 
its growth is compact and straight; it is prolific to a 
fault.” Fruit large. Middle of August. 
Beurre Bose—Downing says of this (13)—“Among 
autumn pears, the Beurre Bose proves, year after year, 
equally deserving of praise. Its branches are re gular- 
ly laden with large fair and beautiful specimens, which 
ripen gradually, and always attain a delicious flavor. 
With many sorts of pears, it is unfortunately the case 
that only one fruit in ten is a really fine specimen. 
With the Beurre Bose, it is just the reverse; scarcely one 
in ten is blemished in appearance, or defective in flavor. 
It is, in short, a standard fruit of the highest excellence, 
