Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-05-30

face or in the soil
The use Of fertilizers in pear culture
requires most careful consideration
and judgment. Lands naturally fertile
viz. loamy soils so common in prairie
regions, cleared forest lands and clay
ey soils having mari in their compost
tiOn-Should not be enriched. Tillable
lands tina, will grow a good crop of
corn are Sufficiently fertile for the pear
tree. When the pear orchard begins to
lose its vigor from continuous fruit
crops light dressing Of wood ashes or
we'll rotted stable manure may prove
beneficial. AS long rs the trees main.
tain a normal. healthy growth they re-
Quire no stimulating food. Trees that
are highly stimulated and are making a
rapid growth are much more liable to
be attacked by blight which is the
greatest drawback to pear culture.
Use Of Commercial Fertilizer.
A commercial fertilizer containing
~ to 2 per cent of nitrogen. to .
per cent of available phosphoric acid
and 10 to II per cent of potash will
give good results on land that Is def
cient in these elements when applied
in quantity ranging from 400 to COO
pounds per acre.
For sections south Of about the for
ty-first parallel Of latitude the fall is
undoubtedly the best season for plant
ing, but for most of the territory north
Of this line spring planting is safer.
1t Is as important with the pear as
with any other kind Of fruit tree that
the land. whether for standards or
dwarfs. be we'll and thoroughly pre-
pared by blowing and stirring the soil
and subsoil deepl" before planting.
The preparation can best be done in
the fall. as the effect of freezing and
thawing the ground through the win
ter improves the soil Ivy pulverizing it.
An excellent plan is to pillow the
ground in lands in the direction that
will afford the best drainage, back
furrowing with a heavy plow and
leaving the dead burrows where the
rows of trees are to be set. 1t Is well
to break up the bottom Of this dead
furrow by running a subsoil pillow
through it two or three times. giving
it good stirring.
A good distance for planting stand
ard pear trees Is Is by 80 feet-that Is,
the rows are thirty feet apart and the
trees fifteen feet apart in the rows.
Another plan is to plant the trees
twenty feet apart each way. This dis
lance will afford free circulation of
air and abundance Of sunlight. both o.
which are essential to success.
Dwarfs are sometimes planted ten
feet apart each way. but fifteen feet
each way. or 1913 trees to the acre. Is
better. This distance gives room tr
drive through the grounds for spray
ing and to gather the fruit.
One Year Trees Best.
Strong, we'll rooted one-year-Old trees
are preferable to any other age. wheth-
er standard or dwarf. II early fruit
fulness Is desired dwarfs are prefer
able. but 1t should be borne in mind
that such trees are usually shorter
these reasons they are better adapted
to small lots or to garden purposes.
On the other hand, II longevity Of
tree. larger size and capacity for pro
ducing heavier crops are desired stand
ards should be planted.
Pears vary in their season Of ripep
Ing, so that II proper attention Is given
to the selection Of varieties and to care
tul handling and storing the pear
grower may have fruit for his table or
market from midsummer until March.
Some varieties Of pear are infertile
by themselves. and therefore varieties
should be intermingled In planting IN
order to insure fruitfulness. No more
than two rows of one variety should be
planted together. alternating with some
other variety that Is considered good
pollinizer. 1t may be said. however.
that self fertile varieties under some
conditions may become self sterile un-
der other conditions
Thorough and frequent stirring of
the ground between the rows with
cultivator should be done during the
early part Of the growing season or
from early spring until July l. when
cultivation should cease no that the
new growth Of wood may harden up
sufficiently to endure the winter tenn
perature.
After the trees have attained suffi-
cient size and age to commence fruit
ing cultivation may be discontinued
for awhile and the land seeded to clo-
yer. This cover crop will check the
rapid growth of the trees and bring
them into bearing sooner than II cult
walton is continued. IL the clover Is
allowed to fall on the ground instead
Of cutting and removing it. 1t will act
as a mulch and serve to retain mois-
ture In summer and be a protection in
winter.
Crops Among the Trees.
II desirable to grow other crops be-
tween the rows Of trees as a matter of
economy. this may be done for a few
years after being set out without any
detriment to the orchard. provided the
crOp IL of such pnt,lre MS TO rpouire