THE put year's experience in growing pears as a source of profit, differs widely in many respects, from that of any other season, since I have been engaged in the business, and some of the facts developed are worthy of the attention of practical fruit culturists.

Although the winter of '69 and '70 was unusually mild, and open from December until the first of April, the early and continuous fine settled weather of the spring months favorably disappointed everybody, and brought about conditions, during April and May, or through the critical period in fruit culture, the blossom time, that were satisfactory to those interested in the production of small as welt as large fruit.

The first week in May our pear orchard was in full blossom, and from the moment the first blossom appeared until the last petal fell to the ground, there was not an unfavorable or harsh blast to disturb the "wedding in the orchard." The customary cold northeastern rain-storm failed in this instance to pat in an appearance, and the result was, the most uniform and largest "set" of pears, through the whole orchard, that we ever had, on the same number of trees in a single season.

Notwithstanding this heavy set of fruit, the younger trees started a vigorous growth of wood, and both trees and fruit gave striking evidence even as early as the first of June, that there would be a large crop, and only with careful and radical thinning - the specimen or individual fruit could be brought to the full size.

At this time reports came from all parts of the country, that the fruit crop was very large, the apple especially. The markets were then abundantly supplied with Strawberries, followed by Raspberries, of which there were thousands of quarts sold in New York market for six cents a quart, and under. At one period the market was so overstocked with Blackcap raspberries, that there was no established price; they were sold for anything offered for them.

This condition of things was not in the least consoling to a person having a large crop of fruit; a well supplied market and corresponding low prices seemed almost certain to fruit-growers who watched the market reports closely. 3

Being fully alive to the fact, that in such fruitful years, when every fruit-bearing tree or bramble was overladen, the markets would, judging from the past, be overstocked with medium to small sized fruit, and this class of fruit would sell at very low prices.

About the middle of June, we went to work with a determination to thin out from every tree in our pear orchard, a certain portion of the crop. It was hard work, and at first appeared sinful to deliberately take off so many fair specimens of fruit, for strange to say, the entire burden of fruit then was almost uniform in size, being free from insect marks. From hundreds of trees more than half the fruit was taken off, and very few, less than a third, of what then was on the trees. In places, the ground was fairly covered, as far as the branches extended, with the pears that were pulled off.

When the job of thinning was finished, the effect in a few weeks began to show itself. The rapid and uniform increase in the growth of the crop of pears, was plain to be seen; the only mistake or blunder made, was in some instances leaving too many on the trees. In such cases, the bulk of the fruit grew only to medium or small size.

The orchard was cultivated during the spring and early part of summer. About midsummer it was mulched with salt marsh hay, cut and cured for the purpose. This method we like better the more we practice it in pear culture. It serves a double purpose, of saving the fruit from being injured when falling from the trees, besides, the ground underneath is kept moist and loose, and the weeds prevented from growing.

The peach crop was very large, and prices ranged low. Thousands of baskets were sold in New York market for less than the expenses in transporting them from Delaware. Early apples were abundant and cheap, with a full supply of Raspberries and Blackberries.

On the 13th of August, we sent our first Bartletts to market and they brought $10 per barrel, or that amount for two and a half bushels. During the following two weeks they fell to $8 per barrel, for good fruit, and they sold from $7 to $8 until the first of September, when prices advanced to $10, and from then, until the Bartletts left the markets, prices advanced steadily. The 13th of September, we sold the last of our crop of Bartletts at $18 per barrel. At this time choice, early apples were selling for $1.50 to $2 per barrel, and fine plums from $8 to $12.

AU kinds of pears, owing to the protracted drought and intense heat, ripened two to three weeks earlier than usual. We commenced marketing Duchesse d'Angouleme as early as the 10th of September. These, however, were "drops," but falling on the hay under the trees were not injured.

These drops carefully put up in new half-barrels brought $5 per half (1¼ bushels), with a good demand, considering the quantity and low prices that other kinds of fruit were then selling for in New York market. Good sized fruit of the Duchesse, carefully packed, ranged from $8 to $20 per barrel through the season, and like the Bartletts, late in the season prices advanced, so that on October 25th, second class fruit brought higher prices than first class did a month before. No. 2 fruit (Duchesse) sold readily at $12 per barrel, in the latter part of October.

Our crop of Duchesse was large, and the fruit large and uniform in size.

During the past season we sold of the Duchesse d'Angouleme 1,155 bushels, which net us a fraction more than $4 per bushel for the whole crop; that is, deducting the price of packages, freight, cartage and commission.

The apple crop was unusually large, and of very fair quality. Cider makers in one district of New Jersey bought thousands of bushels of apples for from ten to twenty-five cents per bushel. Towards the end of November, a few of the makers paid for sound choice fruit 50 cents per bushel. Peaches, grapes, and all the small fruits were plenty, more than an average crop, all over the country.

The crop of pears in districts where they are cultivated for market, was larger than usual, and the markets were well supplied; still prices ranged higher than for any other kind of hardy fruit, and growers need entertain no fear of " overdoing " the pear for the next ten years, at any rate. P. T. Quins.