Almost everything that we have said in regard to the preparing of the soil, planting, lifting, root-pruning, shoot-pruning, pinching, and training of Apple-trees applies to Pear-trees, so we need not repeat our directions for these operations. Still, the cultivation of the latter differs in some particulars from that of the former, and we proceed to notice these.

The first thing that deserves attention is, that Pear-trees grow more vigorously, attain a larger size, are longer lived, and do not naturally bear fruit freely at so early an age as Apple-trees. The Pear is not so generally useful as the Apple - hence, in stocking small gardens, Apple-trees should preponderate : nor are there so many really good varieties that are hardy enough to bear fruit freely in any part of our country - hence many gardens may produce a good supply of Apples, in variety for the table and the kitchen all through the autumn and winter, which would fail to produce anything like a supply of Pears. In utility, then, the Apple takes a place before the Pear; but when good Pears can be produced in tolerable abundance, they are always put before Apples as a dessert fruit, so much so that Pears rank as the first of our hardy fruits, while Apples are voted common. Not many of the class to which we address ourselves will care very much whether the Apple or the Pear ranks first in the dessert, if they find that crops of good Apples can be produced easier, where inferior crops of Pears can only be produced with difficulty, and this no matter whether the produce is intended for market or the grower's table.

On the other hand, when fine Pears can be produced in equal quantities with Apples, and as easily, or nearly so, the planter who plants for his own table's supply will plant a fair proportion of Pear as well as Apple trees; and the grower for market will plant Pear-trees more freely, for good Pears fetch much higher prices than Apples. Whether, then, to plant Pear-trees in quantities, or not at all, should depend on whether the climate is suitable or not, and this the cultivator must find out for himself.

Soil

A heavy deep loam suits the Pear best; but hardy kinds will grow and flourish in any soil, from stiff clay to light sand. In Scotland the Carse of Gowrie is famed for its Pears, and there the soil and subsoil are of the heaviest description. In Strathmore, and in Fife and Stirlingshire, Pears are to be found growing well and fruiting prodigiously on the heaviest clay and on the lightest sand. Splendid Pears are produced in the valley of the Thames, and there the soil is mostly of a very heavy description. Still, the best Pears are invariably produced on a good medium loam, with a dry subsoil. The best Pear-orchards that we are acquainted with in Scotland are on a soil composed of degraded trap of an unknown depth. The soil at Newburgh-on-Tay is of this description; and there Pears are produced of better quality and larger size than are produced either on the heavy soil of the Carse of Gowrie, a few miles distant in one direction, or on the sandy soils of Stratheden, a few miles in the other. The simple reason is that, in the one instance, the staple is so deep that the roots, go down as they may, are never out of it; while, in the other two cases, the roots soon get into pure clay in the one case, and into a pure sand in the other. The lessons here taught by nature are very simple.

They are - first, a deep well-drained soil; and second, means taken to keep the roots in it, instead of allowing them to go into the subsoil, as they are very apt to do; for Pears on the free stock are very apt to form tap-roots which go straight downwards. If the subsoil is good, large crops of not bad fruit may be expected in time from hardy kinds; but keeping the roots up to the surface improves even hardy kinds past recognition almost, as we have repeatedly seen demonstrated; while for fine kinds it becomes an absolute necessity, especially in an unfavourable climate. We have seen fine kinds which produced only small useless fruit while the roots were deep in the cold subsoil, produce, after the roots were carefully lifted and laid in near the surface, fruit of the very best description.

The amateur cultivator will understand from this that we wish to make a strong point of looking after and training the roots in their proper places, just as much or even more than carefully pruning and training the shoots; and will also understand that it is a good plan to begin this at the very first. When young orchard-trees are planted with this object in view, and at intervals of a year or two carefully examined and put right in this respect, and then trained in the way they should go while young, there is good reason for saying that in their old age they will not depart from it.

Of course the above remarks apply principally to orchard and other trees which are to be allowed to grow their full size; but such trees are by no means suitable for small plots of ground - they are for orchardists who want quantities of fruit for sale, and who have a sufficient amount of land to devote to the purpose. For ordinary gardens we decidedly prefer medium-sized trees, and these, to keep them as they should be, require regular attention in the way of lifting and pruning the roots, as described for Apples. For good loamy soils such trees are best when grafted on the Quince stock, for it naturally spreads its roots near the surface, and promotes a shorter, dwarfer, but more fruitful growth than the free stock. At the same time, it needs to be regulated by root-pruning too, especially in rich garden soils. Indeed, Pear-trees on the Quince should be treated just in the same way as Apples on the Paradise stock.

But for light poor soils the Quince is not good, even for small trees - at least that is our experience. Trees on the free stock are sure to do better, and dwarfness and fruitfulness are easily induced by root-pruning. When Pears on the Quince stock are planted on poor, sandy, or gravelly soils, they, sometimes at least, get stunted, even with careful feeding; and as root-pruning, when it is necessary, produces all the good results ever claimed for the Quince, we certainly advise amateurs not to use it except on good, heavy, loamy soil. We have inspected handsome healthy trees on it in such soils.