The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-29

when matured on the tree mellow
ing TO rich golden after being gathered.
Wherever the Ben Davis apple can be re
lied on we believe that the Kieifer can be
protitably planted, and south of the apple
belt II finds a natural home. There are
to-day probably more kieffer pear trees
growing in Missouri than of all other va
rieties combined, and there is every reason
TO believe the extensive planting of this
variety will be proftably continued. A
few years ago the Kieffer was unknown on
the st. Louis market, but for the past
four years, excepting this wear of total
failure, 1898, we find them in their season
taking the lead in every respect among
home grown pears and equal for all prac-
teal purposes so far as the grower and
consumer are concerned, to any on the
market. Nurserymen have confidence in
its future, and one firm in this state grow
ing at the present time something over
100000 pear trees, over so, 900 are Kieffer,
$4,000 CARRIER, and the balance most
Duchess, Seclzel, Sheldon, Bartlett,
Clapps, Flemish Beauty, etc.
THE LIE CoNTE FOR FRUIT AND AS STOCK.
When the LeConte was first being intro
I duced we planted few trees in orchards,
but they lived only long enough to bear a
! few pears. and then the trees died of
bright. Disappointment has followed
every effort under our observation toward
| fruiting this variety probably in Mis-
souri,. In the south, and in Georgia par
| ticularly, groves, orchards and road sides
are planted with LeConte, and large
grower near Townsville told me that
hecould grow them profitably for less than
| 10 cents bushel, which he thought was
perhaps more than they should be worth.
| They blight but little south of the
| apple belt, but here in Missouri they
| blight so badly that we do not believe
~
! over the state, even if the quality of the
fruit would justify.
| The CARRIER, outside of it's growth and
| habit in the nursery and the orchard, we
| have but little knowledge of in this sec
! ton. We have never fruited it in guam
tity, but we have the fullest confidence in
its future; it natures some earlier than
the Kieffer, about the same size, and when
mellow about the same color. The tree is
a strong, upright grower, and to blight
! seems to be entirely unknown. Have
never seen sign of blight on CARRIER in
nursery or in orchard. Blocks of Kieffer,
CARRIER, lie Conte and Idaho, grown in the
nursery under the same conditions and on
the same kind of soil; all, or nearly all
| the Idaho blighted, most all the LIE Conte
| in the same condition, some slight loss on
the kietfer from the same cause, but no
sign of blight whatever on the CARRIER.
| We confidently believe that the man who
| pins his faith to Kieffer and CARRIER, and
plants them Will be abundantly rewarded.
For stocks, there was at one time a
general effort on the part of some nur-
seryman in Georgia and Alabama to grow
| pears on LeConte stocks, which were
grown from cuttings. We think that
the effort has been almost if not entirely,
| abandoned. The stocks that we have
seen and the trees grown on such stocks
are so poorly rooted that they do not
suit planters, who demand an abundance
of side roots. Another serious objection
to it, of course, is its liability to blight.
The average 'nurseryman at this time
will use stock strictly first-class with
well branched roots, grown from French
and Japan seed, or seedlings i'm
ported direct from France. We will
venture the assertion that until
the past year over nine tenths of the pear
stocks used in this country were imported
direct from France. The Japan stocks,
so-called, are grown from Japan seed and
are now being used largely and may in
time supplant the French article entirely.
They are more vigorous, just as hardy,
less liable to leaf blight or rust, grow
later, hence the budding season is ex-
tended. Trees grown on Japan stock are
much better rooted than on LIE Conte,
and equal to those grown on French stock.
| Possibly the lie ConJe may have a future
as stock, but we confess our inability to
see on what its chances for this distinc-
ton can rest.