The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-08-20
MANAA EM ENT OF a.ECONTE
PEAR TREES.


ally large size the tree attains at an early
age.
The tree will thrive and fruit without
pruning, but may assume an ungainly
shape some Of the branches will run up
too high, the fruit on them will be inac.
cessible and liable to be whipped off by
the winds. The LeConte bears phenome-
nal crops Of fruit, and should therefore
be stocky, with large sturdy limbs, and
have a well balanced head, 80 that the
fruit will not be beaten off by storms, and
be convenient for gathering.
In general terms, the required trimming
consists Of an annual shortening in of the
longest branches, and removing the inside
limbs 80 rs to cause the tree tO spread and
form Il symmetrical top.
Thomas county is headquarters for the
LeContc pear. Our orchard trees can be
counted by hundreds of thousands rang
ing from one to seventeen years old.
The knowledge of this management, that
comes of experience, should !e worth
something to the novice.
Begin with one year old trees, which
are really the best for planting. They
are trained in the nursery to one STEM
are about two inches in circumference at
the collar and about five feet high. Three
feet of the top should be cut off before or
at the time OF planting. In other words,
the tree should be cut back to two feet.
| During the spring and summer, some Of
the low buds should be rubbed off, throw
ing the growth in the upper bud. This
upper or top bud should make growth
of five to eight feet, and during the win
ter should be cut back to four feet from
the ground.
Subsequent pruning consists in annually
cutting back the leader and the longer
branches, and removing the inside
branches This should be done in such
manner as to cause the head to spread
uniformly from the center stock or leader.
LeConte tree should, at five years, be
about fifteer inches in girth above the
collar, fifteen to eighteen feet high, eight
or ten feet across the branches at the
widest part, and of symmetrical cone
shape. There should be leader in the
center, and the limbs begin at two feet
from the ground and diverge at intervals
to the top If the longest limbs, includ-
ing the leader, are annually cnt back, leav
ing the leader some" hat the longest, and
HiiN NHViNSS Du'lS anu liIIIDS TcIuOfCu, TIE
tree naturally assumes the shape de-
scrlbed above. At five to six years old
the tree commences To form fruit buds
and will require but little pruning there
after. The weight of the fruit causes the
branches to spread, and the tendency to
grow tall mcaSurably ceases, although
the rapid growth of the tree continues for
several years.
An average twelve year-old tree is
thirty inches in circumference above the
collar, twenty feet high and twenty feet
wide. Neglected trees would not be so
large at that aye. We find them profit
able ana 80 We treat them generously.
have heard men say that they would
not toll" an" hundred dollars piece for
their trees. And the reason they gave
was that the sales of the fruit had aver
aged them Is per cent. annually on that
sum since they were nine years old.
The cultivation consists in stirring the
soil near the trees during the growing
season, breaking the crust after every
rain, and allowing no weeds or grass
near them Any annual crop can be
grown between the rows that requires
frequent stirring of the soil The Le
|
commences fruiting; consequently for
the first four years all fertilizers should
be applied within radius of four feet of
the tree If the land be poor, few ap-
plcations of stable or lot manure, or
woods earth, annually will be found val
liable. Wood ashes or kainlt in the
spring and stable manure in the fall will
cause a surprising growth. If, for any
reason, the soil near the tree cannot be
stirred, a heavy mulching of any coarse
material makes very satisfactory substi-
tute Chip manure from the wood pile
makes a good mulching for trees in the
lawn front yard.
AS said above, until the LeConte COM
mences bearing it has few or no lateral
roots (unless it is a grated tree, and then
it is no good with us,) and the manure
should he applied within radius of
| about four feet from the tree, SO that it
does not require large amount of ferti-
lizer for a young orchard But in time
the roots will occupy all the intervening
ground, and if the soil should be poor it
should be gradually improved by grow
ing peas and other renovating crops, as
opportunity offers, while the trees are
young.
A word about grated trees. We find
them complete failure here; and the
same may be said concerning bastard
trees, L. e., trees grown from cuttings tax
en- from grated trees. | can give no in
struction as to their management, and
what have said is applicable only to the
genuine pedigree LeConte tree. 1t is
claimed that grated LeConte trees do
pretty we'll in some localities. The fu-
ture alone can determine this. To my
certain knowledge many readers of the
Cuhicator have purchased LeConte trees
during the past planting season, and some
of them have written me Tor Information
az to their treatment
This article is intended as reply to
some of the questions that have been pro-
pounded to me. But should further par
ticulars be wanted through the CuAioator,
| will light the way if can, for | thor
ouyhIy believe in this noble fruit tree,
and think am doing my countrymen a
service in giving my experience with 1t.
- Wm. Jennings iM Southern CulticdtOr.
That article you had in last week :
paper was the funniest thing ever read, y
said lady to an editor. "lt would make
dog laugh. | thought my husband
would split his sides. "-41rkansd,o 1r0U-