The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-04-23

From = the first planting Of the seed,
through all the nursery treatment and Or
chard culture, we follow a plan precisely
contrary to nature Let every man who
can, grow from seed his own trees, bud or
graft them where they are to stand in
the garden or orchard. Any one who
cannot do this land think many will
fail who attempt it) should select trees
grown on a soil like that in which they
are to be planted. Purchase of nursery.
men that use thrifty hardy stocks, that
do not stimulate too rapid and tender
growth select only such varieties as are
known to be hardy and productive in your
locality get your trees from the nursery
as young as possible, that they may suffer
but little from shortened and mangled
roots. would advise every man who
owns land, if it is but garden plot, to
have growing upon it at least one pear
tree.
To any who wish to grow their own
trees l would say, select seeds from somc
healthy, vigorous tree, of common quail
ty. The wild choke pear having large
and full developed seeds is the best.
Gather the seeds when fully ripe. Sow
as soon as cleaned or at least before they
become dry. l have found it more diff
6cult to raise good pear stocks than Of
any other kind of fruit. The seed bed
should be deep, rich soil 4; rich mould
from new land is best. 1t is important
to secure large early growth so that by
midsummer they will be from twelve to
eighteen inches high, and of stocky
growth. In this | fail two years in three.
There are two principal causes Of failure.
If we fail to secure an early growth, the
trees are generally attacked in the hot
summer months by an insect or sort of
rust that appears on the leaves. The
growth ceases when these appear, or if
the trees continue late in growth and an
early freeze overtakes them when the
wood is unripened, the frozen sap blight
destroys them. When l fail to get good
stocks the first season. | think it better to
try again rather than attempt to make
anything out of those that have been in
jured by insects or disease. Nature is
the most successful tree grower. l would
follow her so far as possible, and plant
the seed where the tree is to stand. l
know this cannot be done except to a lin.
tied extent.
In the summer of 1865 1 succeeded in
raising fine crop of Seeding trees. The
fruit Of these trees was changed to sever
al choice varieties, some before and some
after, their removal from the seed bed.
[ left one tree, and that is the only tree
in my orchard that stands where the tree
was planted. This was budded to the
White Doyenno. The tree commenced
bearing young, and continues to give me
yearly crop of the finest Doyenne pears
in size, color and quality, of any have
ever seen. Out Of twenty trees Of this
variety, some of them raised at the same
time of this one tree, only differing in
being transplanted, none produce fruit in
any respect equal to this tree.
l would remove the pear Seeding af-
ter one, or at most two years growth land
plant in the orchard where the tree is to
remain. Every one who cannot raise his
own seedlings, Tor who aciu not l would
advise them to purchase them Of nursery
men, instead of purchasing trees after the
fruit has been changed, and l would ad'
wise nurserymen to furnish good, healthy
hardy seedlings to his customers. After
the Seeding has been planted in its final
position in the orchard, leave the side
shoots and leaves to give nourishment
and growth to the stem, removing them
gradually when the stem has become
stocky. Let the top form about foul
feet from the ground; would rather have
it FIVE than three There are serious OBJ
iections to the low trunks so much ir
favor few years ago. The principa
reason in favor Of the low top was tC
protect the trunk from winter blight. A
more safe protection is to change thu
fruit of the tree in the top instead O
making the change at the root, thus Sc
curing a trunk perfectly hardy, almos
secure against blight. Il have nevel
lost but one tree from blight where tb'
fruit was changed in the limbs.) Chang
the fault by budding or grating tn
limbs at least one foot from the junction
with the stem; in most instances TIVE
feet is better; the main object is to re-
tain all of the hardy stock you can
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