Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-09-15
WRITTEN FOR THE HERALD.

Editors Shenandoah Herald DEAR
SIRs: AS many of the farmers in the Valley
are beginning to turn their attention to a
heretofore neglected branch of Agriculture
the cultivation of fruits-and as l pre-
sumo all are aiming to plant that kind
which will prove the most remunerative,
the question naturally arises, SIS it the
Grape, Peach, Apple, or Pear? AS the
nature, varieties, mode of culture and
handling of the latter are probably less un-
derstood than the others, we offer the fol-
lowing for the benift of "aH vhom 1t
may concern."
sorL.-A deep, rich soil, we'll drained
is ab:olutel y necessary to success. Differ
ent varieties require different soils. All
require lime, and if it is not naturally in
the soil, it should be supplied in moder-
ate quantities as to amount required and
and when to apply it, we will be more ex-
plicit hereafter In cold wet SOIL dis
ease of the root is Inevitable, the juices
become stagnaut and unfit for vegetation.
In this soil the Pear will suffer severely
from drought, but in thoroughly drained
one, they send their roots deep and obtain
moisture. A nell drained clayey loan
may be set down as best adapted for Dwarf
Pear culture, yet some varieties succeed
admirably in sandy soil aoithout clay
viz: Beurre D'Aremburg, Beurre Bose.
Beurre Diel, Dearbon's Seeding, Duchess
D'Angouleme, Flemish Beauty, Glout
Morceau, Urbaniste and some others.
Some growers insist that large admlx-
turo of sand in clayoy loan is of great
importance. AS most of the Dwarf Pears
grown are natives Of France, we advise a
warm exposure, South Or South Eastern
Slopes, but English varieties, or Ameri-
can Seedlings Can be safely planted on any
exposure. The soil cannot be too we'll
prepared and we advise deep ploughing
and subsoiling.
PLANT1NG.-After the ground has been
thoroughly prepared, have holes dug two
feet square and eighteen inches deep, then
set the treo into the hole so that the collar
will be about four inches below the
surface, or sufficiently deep to insure that
the junction of tho Pear with the Quincs
stock shall be at least two and half in
ches below the surface, for remember, the
| Ounce serves as root, nerer as stem, ;
Here has been the cause Of the failure of
tens of thousands of dwarf pear trees. Ii
the Ounce stock is above the ground, it
is more liable to be attacked by insects ;
it is liable to be broken off by high winds
at the joint, and the Pear growing moro
vigorously, produces deformity: while
if the point of junction is placed two and
halt inches below the surface, it is
strong, healthy and free from 6orers, while
the Pear itself will, in time, take root be-
meath the surface and grow upon its opn
roots as we'll as those of tne Anglers
Ounce stock upon which it has been pla-
ced. thus making it more vigorous and
long-lived, nearly equaling the Standard
Pear in longevity; Charles W. Dicker-
man, in his admirabel work "How to
make the farm pay" says 1--WE know Of
trees grown in this way that have been
| in beariug over forty gears (See folio
| 546 Chow to make the farm pay
Theee are Dwarf Pear trees now bearing
at Mt. Vernon, planted by the late Col.
Jno. A. Washington, that, were planted
thirty years age. So much for the mode
of planting and Longevity. As to the dis
lance the trees should be planted apart,
some Of the best Pomologist in the Uni
ted States, w. Brown Smith, of the Syr-
acuse Nursery, Eflwangor and Barry of
Rochester N. Y. Charles W. Dickerman
ard others say, from eight to ten feet each
way, but we modes'ly beg leave to differ
with them and say, that as general rule,
ten by t.relre feet is the best distance for
our climate and soil--as to the time of
planting, we strongly insist upon it, plant
in the fall, after the sap has fallen; say,
in the north Of November. Some advo-
cate Spring planting-common sense
teaches US that, tree of any kind must
become settled in its new. home before it
can put out Jibrous matter from its roots
and, that until these fbrous roofs perme-
ate the soil, no food matter can be convey
ed to the parts requiring it; now if tree
is planted in the fall it has ample time to
become permanently settled by the oper-
alton of freezing and thawing by Spring
and by the time the buds begin to swell
and expand the young tree has fbrous mat
ter started to support them but, per con-
ira, If tree is taken up III the Spring
with its buds already beginning to swell
Gas must invaribly be the case after the
fruit is out of the ground) and planted
ever so carefully. it must settle before it
can make fibre to replace that torn from
roots in taking up, and furnish food for
the buds already demanding it of the
roots the young tree must suffer natural
ly and should it happen to be dr3 spring
a large per cent would die and those that
survived would never DO .vigerous-it
would be not unlike Paddles experiment
Of, living on one egg day-"the first
two weeks and sure liked to have starred
to death and thin, when | quit abstaining,
as the Praist called it, liked to have kilt
myself entirely ating and betwixt the two
| never have been we'll since.
MuLcHING. After the tree is properly
planted, procure some good stable manure
and mulch at least eighteen inches from
the tree and about three or four inches
deep-allow to remain until Spring-lst
May-then fork in and mulcl with refuse
bedding, old straw or anything that will
induce moisture and prevent the direct
rays Of the Sun from baking the ground