422 ANNUAL REPORT OF THR Off. Doc. 



come in bearing the foreign market will be ready for them and proper 

 facilities for transportation will have been arranged. The Paris Ex- 

 position did much towards introducing American fruit to foreign 

 nations, and our Government is doing what it can to make it possible 

 for us to take advantage of the demand thus created. The Canadian 

 Government is experimenting along the same line, and the Canadian 

 growers are eager to take advantage of any improvement in condi- 

 tions. If Pennsylvania wants a share of this trade we should begin 

 to plant at once. 



VARIETIES. 



Out of the great number of pears that have been tried at various 

 times in this State, there seems to be only five that have stood the 

 test of time and can be recommended as profitable market sorts, 

 namely, Bartlett, Seckel, Duchesse d'Augouleme, Law^rence and 

 Kieffer. We need a better early sort than Clapp's Favorite for the 

 home market, as it blights badly in many places and cannot be recom- 

 mended for general planting. Catherine and Manning's Elizabeth 

 are prolific and of fairly good quality, but too small; the same objec- 

 tion holds as to Tyson and Bloodgood. Here is a field for the ex- 

 perimenter. 



Bartlett is the only pear that received a double star from every 

 correspondent. It stands at the head of the list as a profitable 

 market sort, and although some persons object to the flavor, it is the 

 best seller in every market. The tree is less subject to blight than 

 any other variety. It is a regular, heavy bearer and good shipper. 

 It does well either as standard or dwarf. Pennsylvania Bartlett and 

 Seckel pears have a place of their own in the home markets. They 

 ripen a couple of weeks before those grown in New York, and so for 

 a short time they have the market all to themselves, and if these two 

 varieties are offered as soon as they mature they always bring a fair 

 price and will yield more clear profit at that time than at any later 

 period. They will do well on a clay soil too heavy for apples and 

 can be grown on any deep, well drained soil, on mountain or valley, 

 and will yield regular profitable crops. 



Duchenae d? A'^ig out erne is one of the best market sorts, and is re- 

 markably healthy in tree and foliage. It is usually grown as a dwarf 

 but will succeed admirably as a standard. The fruit is large and 

 handsome, has a thick skin, is a good keeper, a good shipper, sells 

 well in all markets, and when properly ripened, is an excellent pear. 



Howell is an excellent canning pear, very fine grained and white 

 fleshed. A good shipper, if well grown and picked at exactly the 

 right time, but it is subject to blight in most places. The fruit is 

 also subject to scab, and in order to secure good fruit, the trees must 

 be thoroughly sprayed several times during the season. 



Bosc. — Is a luscious table pear of beautiful appearance, bears 



