Produced by Steven Giacomelli, Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images produced by Core Historical Literature in Agriculture (CHLA), Cornell University) +-------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note | | | | A quincunx is a geometric pattern consisting | | of five points, four of them forming a square | | or rectangle and a fifth at its center. It | | forms the arrangement of five units in the | | pattern corresponding to the five-spot on dice, | | playing cards, or dominoes. | +-------------------------------------------------+ HANDBOOKS OF PRACTICAL GARDENING--XI EDITED BY HARRY ROBERTS THE BOOK OF PEARS AND PLUMS [Illustration: PEAR BLOSSOM] THE BOOK OF PEARS AND PLUMS BY THE REV. E. BARTRUM, D.D., F.R.H.S. RECTOR OF WAKES COLNE, ESSEX EDITOR OF "HELPFUL HINTS FOR HARD TIMES," ETC. WITH CHAPTERS ON CHERRIES AND MULBERRIES JOHN LANE: THE BODLEY HEAD LONDON AND NEW YORK. MCMIII _Printed by Turnbull & Spears, Edinburgh_ INTRODUCTION I have grown pears, plums, cherries and mulberries for many years, and have written many articles about the first two fruits; yet, in preparing this work, I found that I had still much to learn, and I wish particularly to express my obligations to the new edition of Thompson's _Gardener's Assistant_, edited in six volumes by Mr Watson, Assistant Curator of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and brought out by the Gresham Publishing Company. I have also derived valuable aid from the volumes of the Royal Horticultural Society. The chapter on "cherries" is based chiefly on the booklet contributed by Mr G. Bunyard to my _Helpful Hints for Hard Times_ published by the S.P.C.K. E. B. WAKES COLNE RECTORY, ESSEX, _July 1902_. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION vii PEARS-- HISTORY OF THE PEAR 1 SITUATION AND SOIL 3 PROTECTION 5 PLANTING 5 STAKING AND WIRING 7 STOCKS FOR PEARS 8 ORCHARD TREES 10 PYRAMIDS 12 COLUMNAR TREES 14 ESPALIERS 15 HORIZONTALS ON WALLS 15 FAN-SHAPED TREES 16 BUSHES 16