As a field crop, the seeds should be planted where the plants are to stand. For propagation in greenhouses, see Arachis.
Pear, Alligator or Avocado. See [Persea].
Pear (Pyrus communis, P. sinensis). Rosaceæ.
Pear seedlings are grown in the same manner as those of the apple, which see. Pear stocks are mostly imported from France, however, as the leaf-blight is so destructive to them here as to render their culture unprofitable. This leaf-blight is a fungus (Entomosporium maculatum), and recent experiment has shown that it can be readily overcome by four or five thorough sprayings with Bordeaux mixture, so that there is reason to hope that the growing of pear stocks may yet become profitable in this country. Heretofore, the only means of mitigating the ravages of this blight was the uncertain one of inducing a strong growth early in the season. Even when pear stocks are raised in this country, they are grown from imported French seed. Aside from its cheapness, however, this foreign seed probably possesses no superiority over domestic seed. But pear seed is so difficult to obtain in America that it is practically out of the market.
Pear seedlings should be taken up and removed from the seed-bed the first fall. The foreign stocks are imported when a year old from the seed. The seedlings are trimmed or “dressed” (see [page 69]), and are set into nursery rows the following spring. The next season—that is, the season in which the stocks are transplanted—shield-budding is performed, as upon the apple. The budding season usually begins late in July or early in August in the north. If the stocks are small, of “second size,” they may stand over winter and be budded the second year. Pear trees are sold at two and three years from the bud. Pears do not succeed well when root-grafted, except when a long cion is used, for the purpose of securing own-rooted trees (see [page 78]). Dormant buds of the pear may be used upon large stocks in early spring, the same as upon the apple, and buds may be kept upon ice for use in early summer (see [page 74]).
Pears are dwarfed by working them upon the quince. The Angers quince is the best stock. The ordinary orange quince and its kin make weak and short-lived trees. Quince stocks are obtained from ordinary cuttings or from mound-layering, the latter method giving much the better stocks (see Quince). The layers should stand until late in autumn of the second season when they will be found to be well-rooted, and may then be taken off, trimmed up and fitted to plant as stocks the following spring, and budded in August. It is imperative to set the bud as low as possible in order to secure long-lived trees. Some varieties do not unite well with the quince, and if it is desired to dwarf them, they should be double-worked (see [page 91]).
The pear can also be grown upon the apple, thorn and mountain ash. Upon the apple it is short-lived, although pear cions, set in the top of an old apple tree, often bear large fruits for a few years. When pear stocks cannot be had, pears are sometimes worked upon apple roots. If the cions are long they will emit roots, and when the apple nurse fails the pear becomes own-rooted. Good dwarf trees are often secured upon the thorn, and there is reason to believe that some of the thorns will be found to be preferable to quince stocks for severe climates and for special purposes. The subject is little understood. The mountain ash is sometimes used for the purpose of growing pears upon a sandy soil, but its use appears to be of little consequence.
Pears of the Le Conte and Keiffer type are often grown from cuttings in the south. Cuttings are made of the recent mature growth, about a foot in length, and are planted in the open ground after the manner of long grape cuttings. Le Conte, Garber, Smith, and other very strong growers of the Chinese type, are probably best when grown from cuttings. They soon overgrow French stocks, as also apple stocks, which have been used to some extent; but if long cions are used, own-rooted trees are soon obtained, and the stock will have served a useful purpose in pushing the cion the first two or three years.
Pecan (Hicoria Pecan). Juglandeæ.
Propagated by seeds. These may be planted as soon as ripe, or stratified until spring. The ground should be well prepared and the nuts planted about 3 inches deep. By grafting on pecan or common hickory stock that is not over 2 years old. Cions about 6 inches long should be cut during the winter and put in a cool place to hold them back until the stocks have fairly started in the spring. The stalks should then be cut off at the crown and the cion inserted. The tongue-graft gives the best result. Bandage securely and bank with earth nearly to the top of the cion, to keep it moist.