PEARS

(Pyncs communis).– Pear blossom opens early, and is somewhat tender, so that if possible a position sheltered from east winds should be chosen.
Pears succeed only on good rich loam. In ordering pears from a nursery, it is always best to tell the nurseryman what the garden soil is like, as pears on pear stock are more suitable for light soil, while those on quince stock are better for heavy soil.
Standard pears are planted 24 ft. apart, half standards 15 ft. apart, bushes 10 ft. apart, espaliers 15 ft. apart, and cordons 2 ft. apart. Pruning of pear trees is done in much the same way as already described for apples. As a rule, however, pruning is less necessary with the pear than with the apple, as the trees often seem to make cordon-like branches naturally, without any assistance from the gardener. In any case it is a mistake to prune too severely while the trees are young. Fertilizers can be supplied as for apples, and stable manure also given according to the amount of stem and leaf growth made each season.
Lime is a very important fertilizer here as in all parts of the fruit garden. A dressing of nitrate of soda just before the flowers open, often helps to produce quantities of good fruit.
Pears need special care when they are gathered. They are best not allowed to turn colour on the trees, but should be gathered just before they ripen. It is also a useful practice to gather them in batches from the same tree, say at intervals of three or four days, as those that are gathered ripen rather quickly, and the fruit is available by this method for a longer period.
The very late-fruiting pears need plentiful sun before they are gathered and should be left on the trees until the end of September.