Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-03-15
HINTS ON FRUIT CULTURE
How 10 Plant Peach and Pear Trees
Pear Culture Can be Largely and Profit.
ably Increased.


/ NAaN @aNANe@e
Written for the STATE JOURNAL.
The great mistake OF fruit growers In
setting an orchard Of either peaches,
apples or pears, Is, they are anxious for
too great a variety. Not knowing Just
what varieties are adapted to their soil
and climate. They select from twenty to
fiftl different kinds, have few Of each,
but not enough Of any TO make the sale
an object, hence they pronounce fruit
growing failure, no money In II. This
Is especially the case with peach and pear
growing. Six or eight varieties OF the
peach are much better for commercial
growers than twenty. A succession of
varieties known and approved In the
locality lie all that is needed. Never plant
a peach tree more than one year from the
bud. A peach tree planted in the fall will
make better growth next season than II
planted In the spring, other things being
equal.
Pears have been greatly neglected on
| this peninsula. No extensive orchards
have been planted. The few thousand
trees that are TO he found In acre aud half
acre orchards have proved so exceedingly
remunerative aud have come into bearing
so soon that I find the attention Of many
fruit-growers Is being turned TO pears for
market and for canning purposes. And
| have no doubt but the pear interest In a
few years will be as Important as the
peach. No section is better ad tpted to
this delicious fruit. Any good corn land
will grow the pear, and any land that will
do we'll In peaches will do well In pears
when well MANFRED and properly eulti-
waited
Select but few varieties, and such as
come in before or after peaches. No
great, although paying price, can be ex.
pected for pears that 20 In to market,
when II IL filled with peaches. Among
the varieties that are known In Delaware
to be steady bearers, good growers and
not subject to blight, rOtting at the core,
or falling of the leaves prematurely, are
of the very carly. f. Manning, Bloodgood,
| Beurry, Clifford and DagenAe D'Eti sum
mer, or early fall, Bartlett, Dagenne, Bar
rock ond Seckel; late fall, Beurrc, ClAirgou
Dutchess- d 'Angoulemei winter, Lawrence
Beurre D'Anjou, Vicar of WINFIELD,
Winter Nellis and Easter Beurre.
For six varieties ripening in succession
from July 18Th to the succeeding April,
take either Z. Manning or Beurre Clifford,
Bartlett, Dntchess, Beurre D'Anjou, Law
renee and Vicar of WINFIELD. Lawrence
and Bartlett only as standards.
From some Of these varieties, pears,
with good culture, may be expected the
third year, with all by the fifth and sixth
when two and three year old trees are
planted.
II the land Is not naturally dry, UNDER
drain, or in lieu throw up into squares. by
deeply blowing in ten foot lauds each way,
forming squares with elevated centers ten
feet apart. Make the holes large enough
to set the tree without bending the roots
and as deep as the dead burrows, or dowH
10 near the water line of the soil Set two
or thi ee year old tree. sta dirds 90 f ct and
dwarfs 10 feet each way, making three
drops to one standard and manure 10 the
hole six or eight inches below the tree
roots so as to invite the roots downward.
FIJI AROUND the tree with surface soil
pressed around the roots, leaving the
ground two or three feet from the tree,
rather dltching than GROWING, mulch
with leaves, straw or litter over which
a little earth IL thrown. frees thus set
Will all live and make good growth the
first year, and come into early bearing
often the second year from planting l
know Of no orchards that are late in COM
ing into bearing, that were planted cul Il.
waited and pruned 10 a proper manner
NNAAAhAA NNhNAo INNh hANN lQluf Aiif AuIlN
year from planting. Dagenne DEC the
second year, Bartlett standane, the fourth.
Beurre DAMON aud butchers the fifth. The
average price Of pears for ten years past
through the season has been over SIC per
Dbl; In New York, often as high as sec
and even S30a Dbl. and never lees han SIS.
Al such prices the masses cannot indulge
In them. The acreage of pears should be
greatly increased, so that they can be
bought at lower rates and come nto more
general use. They are ne easily raised az
peaches, and more baskets ubtaluable
from an acre. Arthur Colburn had a
thousand baskets from less than an acre,
which be sold in Philadelphia for 81 a
basket. Mr.. Jersey, Of Maryland, netted
$3.50 from three-iourths of an acre the
fourth year Such cases might be multi
piled. Let the next census report plac,
the Diamond State In its true position, no
only as wheat growing but as a fruit
; growing State, and she will shine like tn,
gem she represents among the other bril-
liants. She is the natural home Of tn,
fruit grower.