W
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908 P ak t I I I .
4342. In the H o rticu ltu ra l Society's F m i t Catalogue for 1831, there are no fewer than G77 sorts of pears
enumerated ; besides nearly as manv names us synonymes. It becomes, thei efore, of the utmost consequence
to the practical gardener to be able to make a selection ; and that which has been made for liim in
the above Table by Mr. Thompson may be considered to include the best sorts, and those only of whieh
the merits have been fully ascertained in this country. There is one variety, the Beurré Spence, which is
stated in the Catalogue not to have fruited in the Chiswick garden ; yet, as it was strongly recommended by
Van Mons as the very best of pears, endeavours should be made, by amateurs and others visiting Belgium,
to ascertain what the variety really was to which he attributed such superior excellence. Mr. Braddick
asked M. Van Mons, who had raised 80,000 new pears, which, of all the sorts that he had raised, was the
best. The reply was, “ th at depends on taste.” Mr. Braddick then asked him, “ to which of all his new
pears he would give the preference.” He immediately replied, with much vivacity, “ the Beurré Spence; ”
and added, “ this fruit, to ray taste, is inestimable, and has no competitor.” {Gard. Ma g ., vol. i. p. 14.5.)
'I’he name of Spence was given to this pear by M. Van Mons, in honour of the celebrated entomologist.
The Beurré de Mons, Beurré Diel, and Urbaniste, have been fruited under this name.
4343. P ro p agation. The pear may be propagated by layers or suckers, but not easily by cuttings.
These modes, however, are productive of very indifferent plants, and are justly rejected in favour of
raising from seed, and grafting or budding. (See Gard. Ma g ., vol.ii. p. 199. & 432., and iv. p. 242. & 402.)
4344. From seed. This mode is adopted either for tbe purpose of obtaining new varieties, or for producing
pear-stocks. In the former case, the same principles of selection or crossing are to be followed
which we have stated in treating of raising seedling apple trees, between which and tlie pear tree, the
chief difference is, th a t the latter requires a longer period, nearly double, to come into bearing, and that
th e proportion of good sorts to bad, so originated, is but very small. Professor Van Mons, proprietor of
the P é p in iè r e de la Fidélité, a t Brussels, had upwards of 800 approved sorts of new pears, raised from seed
by himself and M. Duquesne, of Mons, in the course of fifteen or sixteen years, and selected from, probably,
8000 new seedling fruits. Van Mons observed to Neill, th a t “ he seldom failed in procuring
s dessert valuable apples from the seed; for thosewhich were not adapted to th e garden a fruit, were probably
suited for the orchard, and fit for baking or cider-making. With pears the case was different,
many proving so bad as to be unfit for any purpose.” {H o r t. Toicr, &c., p. 309.) Whenever a seedling
indicates, by the blunt shape, thickness, and woolliness of its leaves, or by the softness of its bark and
fulness of its buds, the promise of future good qualities, as a fruit-bearing tree, Van Mons takes a graft
from it, and places it on a well-established stock: the value of its fruit is thus much sooner ascertained.
{ I lo r t. T oui'iSc c .. p. 310.) At Brussels, seedlings yield fruit in four or five years, in Britain seldom
■ ' s have elapsed. The fruit of the first yen ............................
»ossess a w hite and heavy pulp, with juice of ra the r
before seven or ten
the second and thin
ave year of bearing is always inferior to that of
years. If a pear or an apple posses: " ’ ’ ’ ‘
pungent acidity, it may be ex p eccttecd. .i_n_ _t_h_e_ _se_c_o_n d, t.h.i.r d.l,, .aan. d. su. b.se.q uent ^y ears, greatly^ to improve.. .i.n. . .s..i.z..e
and flavour. New varieties of pears, and, indeed, of all fruits, are more likely to be obtained from the
seeds of new than of old sorts. {H o r t. T o u r , See., p. 308, 309.)
4345. I n r a is in g p ea rs f o r stocks, th e seeds from perry-makers are generally made use of; but the most
proper are those from the wild pear, as likely to produce plants more hardy and durable. There is, however,
less difference between free pear-stocks, or those raised from the cultivated fruit, and wild pear-
stocks, than there is between free apple and crab stocks. T h e seeds, being procured, may be sown, and
afterwards treated as directed for seedling crab or apple-tree stocks.
4346. G ra ftin g a n d b udding. The most common stocks for grafting the pear are th e common pear and
wilding; but as the apple is dwarfed, and brought more early into a bearing state by grafting on the
paradise or creeper, so is the pear by grafting on th e quince or whitethorn. T h e pear will also succeed
very well on th e whitebeam, medlar, service, or a p p le ; but the wilding and quince are in most general
use. Pears on free stocks grow luxuriantly in good soil on a dry bottom ; those on wildings grow less
rapidly, but are deemed more durable, and they will thrive on the poorest soil, if a hardy variety, and
not overpruned. “ On the quince,” Miller observes, “ breaking pears are rendered gritty and stony;
b u t the melting sorts are much improved: trees on these stocks maybe planted in a moist soil with more
success than those on wildings or thorns.” On the thorn, pears come very early into bearing, continue
prolific, and, in respect to soil, will thrive well on a strong clay, which is unsuitable both to those ou
quinces and wildings ; but it is supposed to have an unfavourable influence on the fruit, in rendering
it smaller and hard; and the grafts or buds require to b e inserted very low, that the m oisture of the earth
may tend to favour the swelling or enlargement of the diameter of the stock, which does not increase
proportionally to, nor ever attains the same size as, th e stem of the pear. Du Breuil, a French gar-
dener, recommends the quince-stock for clayey and light soils, and the free stock for chalky and siliceous
soils. {H o r t. TrrtKs., vol.iv. p. 566.) The free and wilding pear-stocks are to be pianted in nursery rows,
a t the same distance as recommended for free and wilding apples ; and the quince and thorn at the same
distance as the paradise and creeper apples ; in other respects, the management is the same as for the apple.
4347. Choice o f p la n ts . Abercrombie takes trees a t one year from the graft, and thence to the sixth
year, or older. Forsyth says, “ I would advise those who intend to plant pear trees, instead of choosing
young ones, to look out for the oldest that they can find in tho nursery, and with strong stems.”
4348. Soil a n d site. “ A dry, deep loam,” Abercrombie observes, “ is accounted the best soil for the
pear tree when the stock is of its own species; on a quince-stock it wants a moist soil, without which it
viii not prosper. Gravel is a good subsoil, where the incumbent mould is suitable. Cold clay is a bad
subsoil: to prevent fruit trees from striking into it, slates may be laid ju s t under the roots. For wall
trees, the soil should be made good to the depth of 3 f t . ; for orchard trees, 18 in. may do. Pear trees,
on their own stocks, will thrive on land where apples will not even live, supposing th e plants to be hardy
varieties little removed from wildings, and to have room to grow freely as standards. To the more
choice of the early autumn and prime winter pears, assign south, east, or west walls. Knight and
M’Phail recommend a strong, deep, loamy soil, and the latter a high wall for training the better sorts.”
4349. P la n tin g fin a lly is performed any time, in mild weather, from October to February. Standards
are placed from 25 ft. to 40 ft. apart every w ay; half standards from 20 ft. to 30 f t . ; and dwarf standards,
iu borders from 15ft. to 20ft. from stem to stem. Wall and espalier trees are planted from 15ft. to 30 ft.
apart, according as they may have been grafted on pear or quince stocks.
4350. Mode o f bearing, as m the apple tree. “ The pear tree ,” M’P hail says, “ does not produce blossoms
on the former year’s wood, as several other sorts of trees do. Its blossom-buds are formed upon
spurs growing out ot wood ---------------- — ...... ------------------------ ----------...................... .
tree must be left for th a t ;
not younger than one year old, and consequently, projecting spurs all
. . . that purpose.” “ In some pears,” Knight observes, “ the fruit grows oniy on the
inside of those branches which are exposed to the sun and a i r ; in others it occupies every part of tlie tree .”
4351. P r u n in g a n d tra in in g sta n d a rd s. “ Permit these to extend on ail sides freely. Several years
may elapse before any cross-placed, very irregular, or crowded branches, dead and worn-out bearers,
require pruning, which give in autumn or winter. Keep th e head moderately open in the middle.
“ Pruning,” Knight observes, “ is not often wanted in the culture of the pear tree, which is rarely much
encumbered with superfluous branches; but in some kinds, whose form of growth resembles the apple
tree, it will sometimes be found beneficial.” (See G a rd . Ma g ., vol. ii. p. 226.; and vol. iii. p. 175.)
4352. P r u n in g a n d tra in in g wa ll trees. As a wall tree ov espalier, th e pear is always trained in the
norizontal manner on account of its luxuriant growth. Harrison trains most pear trees in this way, and
proceeds exactly as he does in training th e apple tree (4328.). But, “ when it occurs that a tree trained
after this method still continues unfruitful for several years after planting, th e branches must be trained
in a pendulous manner, and more or less so, according to the luxuriancy of the tr e e ; but always commence
the training in the horizontal method, and afterwards change the direction of the branches as
required.” { T r . on F m i t Trees, p. 144.) , The ordinary distance a t which he trains the side shoots is 9in.
or 10 in., but the Jargonelle he lays in at 12in., so as to have room for laying in side shoots from the
spurs, for one or more years. This he finds checks the luxuriancy of the tree, and keeps it in full bearing.
{ T r . on F m i t Trees, p. 159. See Gai'd. M a g ., vol. ii. p. 257.)
4353. Forsyth, in training a young pcar tree, shortens the leading shoot in March; and when the shoots
it produces áre very strong, ho says, “ I cut the leading shoot twice in one season: by this method I get
two sets of side shoots in one year, which enables m(^the sooner to cover the wall. The second cutting
i,s performed about tho middle of June.” ( T r . o n Fi^m't Trees, p. 193.)
43.54. Established w a ll trees a n d e spaliers will require at least a winter pruning, and the following are
Abercrombie’s directions: —
4355. I'he w in te r p r u n in g may bo performed any time from the beginning of November until th e beginning
of March. If on young trees, or others, a farther increase of branches is necessary to fill up
either the prescribed space, or any casual vacuity, retain some principal shoots of last summer, to be
trained for that purpose. As, however, many young shoots will have arisen on the wood-branches and
bearers, of which a great part are redundant and disorderly, but which have received some regulation
in the summer pruning, we must now cut these out almost close to the mother branches, while we are
preserving the best in the more open parts. lixamine the parent branches, and if any are very irregular,
or defective in growth, either cut them out close, or prune them to some eligible lateral to sujiply the
place ; or if any branches be over-extended, they may be pruned in to such a lateral, or to a good fruit-
bud. Cut oiu the least regular 3gu.................of the too crowded ;. also . any casually . declined bearers -; with decayed,
. .
of laterals and terminals should be laid as much at length
; abundant quantity of fruit-luids. During both courses
c;inkcry, and de.id wood. T h e retained supply as the limits allow, in order to furnish a more ( . . - 7» 1-..
of the bearers : if, however, any large, rugged, projecting spurs, and ■
occur, cut them away to within half an inch of the branches,which \ '
of prumng, be particularly careful to preserve all the orderly fruit-spurs emitted a t the sides and ends
'oody barren stumps or snags
, . /ill render the bearers more productive
of fruit-budsé and regular in appearance. As each tree is pruned, nail or tic the branches and
shoots to the wall or trellis. If afterwards, in consequence of either pruning out improper or decayed
wood, or of former insufflcient training, there are any material vacuities or irregularities in the arrangement,
un-nail the misplaced and contiguous branches, and lay them in order.
43.56. K n ig h t’s mode o f tra in in g the p ca r tree is as foUows : — “ A young pear-stock, which had two
lateral branches upon each side, and was about 6 ft. high, was planted against a wall earlv in the spring
of 1810 ; and it was grafted in each of its lateral branches, two of which sprang out of the stem, ahout
4 ft. from the ground, ancl tlie other a t its summit in the following year. T h e shoots these grafts produced,
when about 1 ft. long, were trained downwards, the undermost ncarl;
uppermost ju st below the horizontal line, placing them a t such distances that the leaves 01 one snoot
d...i d1 .n. .o.t .a t. alrlt s,h ad,e thTo se. o. f another.,_ I_n_ t_h_e_ n e x t- iy erta..r..,k t he s a m_ei. im ode o f trai:_n_i_nrgt_ wa_s_ co n„t<i•n uUerdt_, a_n_d in the year following .,.1 obtained ..an abundant ___crop of fruit. An «_old St. Germain pear _»tree,_ pf *the _spu-
rious kind, had been trained in the fan-form, against a north-west wall in ray garden, and the central
branches, as usually happens in old trees thus trained, had long reached the top of the wall, and hud
become wholly unprocluctive. The other branches afforded but very little fruit, and that, never
quiring maturity, was consequently of no value ; so th a t it was necessary to change the variety,
well
rtrt frt —rt.v%Ar.— »l.rt *»rtrt »l.*rt.-l....».v.rt “I’rt rt»»rt.'»l »V,rtrtrt a.Tay... ..............
as to render the tree productive. T o attain these purposes, every brand hich did not want a t least
twenty degrees of being perpendicular, was taken out at its base ; and the spurs upon every other branch,
which 1 intended to retain, were taken off closely witli the saw and chisel. Into these branches, at their
subdivisions, gr.ifts were inserted a t different distances from the root, and some so near the extremities
of tho branches, that the tree extended as widely in the autumn, after it was grafted, as it did in the preceding
year. The grafts were also so disposed, that every part of th e space the tree previously covered,
was equally well supplied with voong wood. As soon, in the succeeding summer, as the young shoots
had attained sufticient length, they were trained almost perpendicularly downwards, between the larger
branches and th e wall to which they were nailed. The most perpendicular remaining branch, upon each
side, was grafted about 4 ft. below the top 0 the wall, which is 12 ft. high ; and the young shoots, which
th e grafts upon these afforded, were trained inwards, and bent down to occupy the space from which the
old centra! branches had been taken away ; and therefore very little vacant space any where remained
in the end of the first autumn. A few blossoms, but not any fruit, were produced hy several of the grafts
in the succeeding sp rin g ; but in the followingyear, and subsequently, I have had abundant crops, equally
dispersed over every part of the tre e .”
43.57. H eading d ow n a n d p r u n in g old p e a r tre e s. “ T h e method of pruning pear tree s,” Forsyth observes,
“ is very different from that practised for apple trees in general. The constant practice has been
to have great spurs, as big as a man’s arm, standing out from the wails, from 1 ft. to 18 in. or upwards.”
The constant cutting of these spurs, he says, brings on the canker, and the fruit produced is small,
spotted, and kernelly. Forsyth’s practice with such trees was, to cut them down, and renew the soil at
th e ir roots ; and he refers to a beurré pear { fig . 794.), restored from 1^ in. of bark, which, in 1796, bore
450 fine large pears, &c.
JJ !l