Horticultural Observations

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 453, 12 March 1890, Page 4

Horticultural Observations

(From the “ New Zealand Farmer.” To the Editor. —l have for four years past devoted some time to tho cultivation of the pear, which, it seems to me, is one of the most delicious and valuable fruits which the perseverance and ingenuity of man have brought to perfection fer us, and to which this climate, so far as my experience goes, seems fairly favourable. I have, thanks to Mr Mayo, of Drury (who appears to be about the only man in Australasia, with the exception of Mr J. C. Cole, of Melbourne, who has paid any intelligent attention to this Queen of the Orchard),. obtained a collection of nearly 100 varieties, which the 20 years I spent in the old country as an amateur pear grower, struggling with the very adverse climate of Norfolk, leads me to believe are the best of the best. I know very well that most people will say, “ Why do you want .so many kinds? a dozen good ones are quite enough.” But the pear, like some other charming creatures, is apt to be capricious, and a variety that thrives well in a certain locality will not succeed half-a-mile off, and if a fourth of the kinds I have planted do well, it is as much as I expect. All this preamble is to introduce an incident I met with the other day among the pear trees that may be of interest and perhaps benefit to fruit-growers generally. I was going my rounds among my young trees, destroying that filthy pest, the leech, when I met withanally, something inthisshapeand size,

which appeared to take even more pleasure in the destruction of my enemy than I did myself, for it had its proboscis inserted in the soft body of the leech, and was evidently sucking out its internal arrangements with great gusto. The insect was of a rusty red colour with two irregular dingy white spots on each wing. I did not disturb ic in its very useful employment, but if you would like a specimen I shall hope to find another. It certainly ought to be propagated if possible. On the same tree (a Jargonelle) I found a singular double leaf, of which the annexed sketch will give a a pretty good idea.

Of course this is a mere triviality, but may be interesting to botanists or it may be a fact of frequent occurrence, though I never saw it before. While on singularities, 1 may mention that I have pear trees of tho Winter Nelis variety affepted slightly with American blight. Perhaps that is nob unusual, and your readers may think I am good at finding mares’ nests.— Geo. A. Clark, Te Weranga, Rawene, Hokianga, sth February, 1890.

[The twin leaf is not an uncommon development, bub the woolly aphis is nob at all common on a pear tree, at least so far as we are aware, although when we consider the family relationship of apple and pear the fact that the same blight will attack both is nob very surprising. We have heard of such cases before, bub have never seen an instance ourselves of a pear tree attacked by this aphis pest. Our correspondent’s experience with regard to the insect destroyer of the pear leech is interesting and cheering to orchardists who cultivate the pear, plum and cherry.— Ed. N.Z.F.]