Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-08-21
,$atmtr5' Qpartmtnt.
Culture of the Fear-An Englishman's
Views

We fud in Tie HorticuiiwiSt, the follow
inc remarks on this. Just now, much debated
topic, from that distinguished hOrticultnrisi
and pomologist, Thomas RIVERS, and we
commend them 70 the consideration OF all and
especially parties to the controversy now in.
dulged in,
! was much interested in the discussion in |
The HorticwturiSt, about pear trees Oh the
ounce stock: how strange it is that bad !
culllvAtors place the blame on the stock and
not on their own miSmanagement. | have
now had more than twenty years experience
10 the cultivation OF pears on the ounce,
and am more than ever convinced that their
culture as garden trees is the most agreeable
and profitable of all fruit culture !; due regard
should, however, be paid to the sorts select
ed for. to a certainty, there are some kinds
that even in the most favorable soils will not
DO we'll. If | were q young man ] should
desire no better speculation than forming a
large pear tree garden on ounce stocks in
your country, to grow the finer kinds ofpears
for market but it must be understood, II
should be strictly pear garden, not grass
orchard, or O field full of rude weeds for
pear trees on the ounce require good cui-
lure If the soil is rich, manuri G may be
dispensed with, bat in ordinary or poor soils
surface dressing Of manure should be given
annually in October, round each tree in
tlrClc from lbICe W lDNT ltcG Ill C4llitItl
The ground should not be dug, but kept
clean with horse hoe between the rows
and with the hand hoe round the trees
When the ground is dug or plowcd, the sur
face roots are destroyed, but if only hoed
they soon form network near the surface
and feed on manure, and the trees are bene-
flied by the roots being exposed to the infu-
ence Of the sun AID air.
| should form my pear garden thus rows
ten feet apart, from northeast to southwest
so that the sun during the heat of the day,
shines in the spaces between them A; trees
five feet apart n the rows they may stand
this distance in the rows from ten to twelve
years aud them if at all crowded, every al
ternate tree may be removed, but | am not
sure that / should rot let them remain Ion
ger so as to form large hedges My trees
five feet apart in the rows, have been planted
twelve years, nnd it will be five or six years
before they touch each other they are prup
~ed once a year, generally in August, and
sometimes not till after the fruit is gathered
in October they must be prunod once q
year: my trees bear profusely, and Om not
over nice as TO the time Of pruning. | lave
seen pear hedge in France prupeA once a
year with common garden shears, and wa:
surprised to find what quantity of fruit th,
trees gave. mention this to show that i
pears on the ounce have a good soil and eli
mate they are very productive, even unde
rough usage; but pruning in some shap'
seems absolutely necessary. The soil for
pear "a den should be fria5le, sandy loan
resting on wet bottom of clay or stiff loan
if rich, all the better if poor, manure,
repeat will be required. In this country
with our moist climate, | have known pear
on the ounce succeed well in loan restin!
on a dry, stony bottom but with your ho
nal, hnouiI,,
face, they wOsld perhaps suffer from drought
The sorts ] should select for my pear gardel
for profit. i. ., for market purposes, would be
|, Louise Bonne 2, Buerred' Annals 4
Vicar of WiukGeld 4, Ceurre Dicl 5, Du
chessed' Angouleme e, Easter Beurre, whcl
in your climate must be valuable for in tn,
warm parts of France it is unequalcd. 1'h
Vicar, which in moist seasons in this cOuntr
is Hat and Indifferent only requires a brgh
sun to bring out its qualities for last sum
mcr, 1897, which was remarkably bright anC
warm, my row Of one hundred trees, now ter
years old AMI pictures of health and vigor
gave me such pears as had never before beer
seen in Covent Garden market they wer
large, clear and beautiful, and almost "best
should also feel Inclined to try Beurre IIar
ay a3 market pear; in vgor, the tree oil
the qulhce equals the Vicar and its fruit j
large and excellent.
The cultivator Of pears for marku., shoult
coaiine himself to as few kinds as possible
ana II IN the Course OF n few years he find
any one or two that suit the soil aud climat,
better than others, he should extend thei
culture us much as possible. | have foun,
this the case with Louise Bonue, there
now no occasion to add, "ofJersey," for ia,
old sort is scarcely knwon.) and SO | at ono
planted two thousand trees no act Of m
pomological career has given me more plea
sure aud profit.
] have not mentioned the preparation {
the soil, for all your books on iruit culture .
INTO that fully; but there can be no harm /
saying that ! have my fresh ground forkcd t
twenty-five inches in depth and | neye
turn the surface soil to the bottom, but kee
the surface on the surface.
THoNAs RIVERS