And that which was so well and truly said of it in 1846 remains true of it to-day. The fruit is not borne in clusters as is the case with many varieties, but singly, or at most in pairs, and is very evenly distributed throughout the tree; hence, each fruit is fully developed in form, size, and flavor. It is recommended for general cultivation in twenty-two states and territories; and in Massachusetts and New York is put down as being a fruit of great superiority and value. Nurserymen have never taken it in hand to make a run on it, hence it has not been as widely disseminated as many sorts of more recent introduction. When young, the tree has a very ungainly habit of growth, and requires much attention and no little skill in pruning to bring it into a saleable shape; for this reason it costs the nurserymen more to bring into market a thousand trees of this variety than two thousand of Bartlett or Beurre d’Anjou, and as a consequence it is not extensively cultivated. In the Report of the Fruit Growers’ Association for 1869 it is put down as being unable to bear the cold Winters of Frontenac, Addington, Lennox, Hastings, Prince Edward, Northumberland, Durham, Ontario, and York; but in Peel, south part of Halton, and in Wentworth it is mentioned as being a desirable variety to plant, also in Lincoln, Welland, Haldimand, Elgin, Norfolk, Oxford, south of the Great Western Railway, Middlesex, south of the same line, Kent and Essex. On the other hand we notice that in the Report of the American Pomological Society for 1877, it is recommended for general cultivation in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. With these facts for the guidance of Canadian planters before them, it would be well to experiment cautiously with this variety where hardy pear trees are necessary, but in the milder sections where pear trees of most sorts thrive well, the Beurre Bosc will give great satisfaction, both to the amateur and market orchardist, for the fruit will command the highest price in our city markets, and those who have once become acquainted with its rich, aromatic flavor will purchase again.
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GRAFTING BEARING APPLE TREES.
BY J. M. McAINSH, ST. MARYS, ONT.
When my apple orchard came into bearing some years ago, I found that I had more Summer and Fall varieties than I needed for my own use. On trying to dispose of them, I found they were a perfect drug, the market being completely glutted with them. I grafted them with good Winter varieties, which have done well, and are now coming into a bearing state. I think this is a better plan than rooting them out and planting young trees in their stead. Of course if the grafting is done in an improper manner the trees cannot be expected to do well; and in the case of very old trees, probably the best way would be to root them out, and plant young trees in their stead. But in the case of young healthy trees, say from ten to fifteen, or even twenty years old, if they are properly grafted they will soon form large well-formed heads, which will bear a considerable quantity of fruit, while small trees just taken from the nursery would only be making wood growth. All through the country there are many vigorous, healthy trees, bearing only poor or unsaleable fruit, which, if they were grafted with profitable varieties, would in the course of a few years be a source of profit to their owners.
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HOW TO RAISE COLOSSAL ASPARAGUS.
BY T. B., NEW YORK.
The following method of raising Colossal Asparagus was written in 1846, but is just as true and to the point to-day as then. We copy it for the benefit of our readers who wish to raise an extra fine article, and because his remarks upon cutting the shoots so fully corroborate the suggestions we ventured to give on this point at page 40. Our author says:
“About the first of November, or as soon as the frost has well blackened the Asparagus tops, I take a scythe and mow them close down to the surface of the bed, let it lie a day or two, then set fire to the heap of stalks, burn it to ashes and spread the ashes over the surface of the bed. I then go to my barn-yard, take a load of clean, fresh stable manure, and add thereto half a bushel of hen-dung, turning over and mixing the whole together throughout. I apply one such load to every twenty feet in length of my Asparagus beds, which are six feet wide. With a strong three-pronged spade or fork, I dig this dressing under. In the Spring, as early as possible, I turn the top of the bed over lightly once more, and cover the surface about a quarter of an inch thick with fine packing salt; it is not too much. As the Spring rains come down it gradually dissolves. Not a weed will appear during the whole season, but it would do your eyes good to see the strong, stout, tender stalks of the vegetable itself, pushing through the surface. I do not at all stretch a point when I say that they are often as large round as my hoe handle, and as tender and succulent as any I ever tasted. The same round of treatment is given to my bed every year.