26(5 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



several hundred bushels and put up in 40-pound boxes, and they sold 

 for the same as California pears brought in St. Louis market. We 

 regard the Garber next to Keiffer. 



1?. F. Murray — The Keiffer comes in later than the Bartlett and 

 other pears, and does not have to coqapete with them. If kept till 

 ripe, it is fine for all culinary purposes and fairly good for eating. It 

 is ihe most money-making pear we have. A friend sold $400 worth 

 from 27 trees on one-half acre of ground. It is a fine ornamental and 

 shade tree also. I think it better than shade trees that bear only 

 leaves. 



Secretary Dunlap of 111. — Personally I have not had very much 

 experience with the Keiffer pear. When I planted my small pear or- 

 chard I was afraid to plant the Keiffer, as so much had been said 

 against its quality. I am now very much pleased with it; it is a good 

 bearer; it comes when pears are scarce; it is of very much better 

 quality than I had supposed. I have tasted them and they are equal 

 to any California pear I ever tasted. I have never known the Keiffer 

 to blight on my place, but I know instances where it has blighted. It 

 is much less subject to blight than other varieties. The Garber has 

 blighted some. It is fine looking and earlier than Keiffer; but I am 

 not as favorably impressed with it as with the Keiffer. 



Mr. Stanton — I have an orchard of 2,000 pear trees. I undertook 

 to keep that number alive, but I find it a big contract. They are now 

 cut all to pieces with the San Jose scale. In my vicinity we had no 

 blight on the Keiffer the past season. Mine have not blighted, but 

 others have. I think one notable feature of the blight is that it was 

 nearly always found on flat, close, compact land, such as post oak flats 

 and marl clays. Where water is allowed to stand and evaporate, I 

 don't believe a pear tree will grow. I want to add a word of warning 

 to parties who are growing Keiffer pears. It will set too many fruits, 

 and if you don't thin Ihem you will not have good fruit. They will 

 set twice too many; they will have no flavor. It will become of bad 

 repute in the market. A Keiffer must be picked before it is ripe if 

 you would have it of good quality. 



Mr. Langston said he had 800 pear trees on low land with gravelly 

 sub-soil, well drained; they had never blighted. 



Mr. Stanton — The Keiffer stands well till it gets six or seven years 

 old. 



Mr. Culp — I have a pear orchard of 15 acres ranging from high 

 land to flat gumbo. I have no blight even on my older Keiffer trees. 

 LeConte dies, Bartlett dies. The Keiffer this year was full of fine-sized, 

 highly colored, beautiful fruit. They will stay on the tree till Novem- 



