Winter Meeting. 297 



been forced into early bearing, but permitted to make a slow, steady 

 growth for years. The pear tree has been grown in different sec- 

 tions of the State very extensively. We have numerous records of 

 success in the cultivation of pears. Early in the last century the 

 neighborhood of Boston became famous for pears. The varieties 

 named after some of the prominent growers are witness to their 

 labors in this field. Later the region along the Hudson and Western 

 New York were noted for their pear orchards, and at present are very 

 successful with this fruit. The vicinity of Norfolk, Virginia, is espe- 

 cially adapted to the Bartlett. California, with favored climate for 

 fruit growing, is well known for the large shipments of pears made 

 from there annually. ]\Iissouri, too, has numberless localities that 

 are well adapted to the pear tree. The hills and uplands along her 

 rivers will be good locations for pear orchard, the age of many trees 

 and the fruitfulness annually, of which we have record, are evidences 

 of the fact. JMr. Jacob Madinger for a number of years during his 

 lifetime made quite a success in pear growing on his place near St. 

 Joseph. About the year 1846 Mr. Sparks in Platte county planted a 

 large pear orchard, principally Bartletts, that succeeded well and were 

 very productive for more than thirty years. I may say here that 

 during my experience of thirty-five years or more we can name only 

 one failure with pears, while with apples we remember of four. A 

 writer in the last number of the Fruit Grower makes this statement 

 from Arkansas that pears do "powerful well" there, and are long 

 lived. 



With the supposition that the Garber and Kieffer were hardier 

 and could withstand blight better than other varieties, they are being 

 planted to a very large extent, in fact, almost exclusively by all others. 

 But we find them subject to the defects of all the other varieties and 

 come to the conclusion that they must, like a Duchess, Bartlett or 

 D'Anjou, receive similar treatment. The hardiness and great fruit- 

 ing ability the Kieffer has caused it to be planted to such an extent 

 that would seem to indicate over-production in the future. This may 

 not be. The taste of the people may be formed to use it more freely, 

 better ways of packing for keeping, so as to prolong the season, new 

 and far away markets and other openings unthought of now, and 

 with cold storage facilities, part of the problem is solved. The early 

 perishable fruits now are in seasons weeks and months after time of 

 gathering. By cold storage the Bartlett instead of having to be 

 forced on market in September becomes a late fall pear, and so with 

 other standard varieties. We want, however, more late keepers. All 



