The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-04-23
agricultural department,
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.


A Paper read before the Vermont Board
Of Agriculture, &c, at Montpelier,
February 81, 1872, By Henry Lane,
Esq, Of Cornwall.
In the paper l shall read at this time,
| shall give you only my experience and
observation, in relation to pear culture.
An experience of twenty-five years has
taught me how little knew about pear
culture when | commenced, and it has
also taught me how much there is to
know, that don't know. Could l have
had my experience when | commenced
pear culture, should have avoided many
mistakes and failures, loss of time, labor
and money. As valuable as my expert
ence is to me, it may be of but little
value to any other person. My expert
ence on my soil may not be applicable to
your soils. The different kinds of SOIL
the variations of soil, the various condi-
tions Of soil, made SO by drainage, by ma
nure, by the different modes of the appli-
cation Of manure, the location, whether
level or sloping, gentle or rapid, souther-
ly or northerly, the difference in latitude,
the exposure to or protection from free
oirrents Of air, near or remote from a
large body of water, on the hill or in the
valley. No two persons are the same in
al these conditions each is peculiar to
his local circumstances and surroundings
So many influences and conditions affect
the result that disappointment follows
when course is pursued as laid down by
our best pomologists, and on what ap-
pears to be the best of soil l followed
the experience of Wilder, Downing, Barry
and Thomas, each successful pear cul-
turists. l made mistakes and met with
disappointments. 1t will not do to fol-
low all the recommendations as laid down
in the books for the propagation and
management of fruit trees. Still the new
beginner needs some guide in the opera
ton of culture and selection of varieties
He should use all the knowledge he can
obtain from others, always remembering
that skill and success is acquired by ones
own experience, combined with per-
sstent Industry and close observation.
In tropical climates nature offers 10
man almost without care or labor, vari-
ETY. Of nutritious and delicate fruit. Here
in Vermont, our climate wears stern
and harsh aspect. Our season of ice and
snow, fof cold winds, lasts nearly six
months of the year. Our climate is try
ing to fruit trees, especially to pear trees
both summer and winter. The genial
warmth and sunshine of our summers
produce vigorous growth, but quite too
short to ripen the wood of many varieties
sufficiently to withstand the rigor of a
Vermont winter. Pears have long been
grown in certain localities, in limited
quantities, in our state. l think they
may be grown in many other places and
in more abundance. We are beginning
to learn what varieties are adapted to
special soils and localities what varieties
are hardy enough to withstand our elm
ate. Amid the great number Of excellent
kinds we should be able to find some that
will succeed in nearly every, even the
most unfavorable, location.
If we look at the past history of pear
culture in this state, gloomy as 1t may
appear, We may be able to discover some
of the causes that prevent success, and
by avoiding our past mistakes to succeed
in the future. There have been thousands
of pear trees sold in the state by nursery.
men and their agents a large proportion
Of them grown out of the state, propagat.
ed in soil unlike that in which they
were planted, forced to an unnatural and
tender growth in the nursery, mutilated
in their removal and handling, too long
out Of the ground before transplanting
an extended list of varieties selected fol
their size and excellence of flavor without
regard to their vigor, entirely unsuited
to Withstand our severe winters. at is
estimated that not five per cent. of all the
trees sod by nurserymen, and planted il
this state, live to their tenth year that
ten per cent. never reach their fifth year
and produce little or no fruit" This es
innate, gloomy as it may look, think il
more favorable than the facts will war
rant, certainly if we except this locality
this section Of the state bordering on the
beautiful lake west of us, favored as it il
by the beneficial influence such large
bodies Of water have upon fruit trees
Except this section Of the state, and | d.
not believe two per cent Of all the pea,
tree planted during the past twenty-five
years have reached profitable maturity
Vermont pear growing, if not altogethe
failure, has been very generally So
twenty failures to a success.
There are various causes for the gener
al failure-the tree, tho variety, tn,
management. Seeds have been takel
from fruit of diseased trees or from thos
known to be tender in Their wood. Nur
serymen in order to meet the large de
mand for trees, demand for large hand
some trees, stimulate their growth by
profuse application of manure, a practic
that will produce succulent, unripene
growth, sure precursor OF blight. Sue
trees are almost certain to be killed b
frozen sap blight during the first or secon
winter after planting. Trees are du
with too little care three-quarters c
their roots are left in the ground wha
remain with the tree are mangled an
bruised ; varieties are selected too tende
to stand our severe winters. Our genel
al system of management has been rad
cally bad. The fault is not in the natur
Of the pear tree or our climate, or in on
soil, but in. the. system of propagation
selection Of varieties, and culture.
THE NATURAL PEAR.
Perhaps no fruit is farther remove
from its natural form than the pear. Ma
by his industry, skill and perseverance
applied TO the wild choke pear Of OF
fields, in its natural state of one of tn
most astringent, unattractive, worthle,
fruits has Transformed IL and nroduce