10 Feb., 1919.] 



Pear Groxoing in Victoria. 



77 



were varieties sucli as De La Chine, Garber's Hybrid, Japanese Golden 

 Eusset, Le Conte, Madame Siebold, and ISTasliir, but the quality of 

 tbese pears is generally poor. 



Plate No. 1. 



Fig. a shows a twig from a pear 

 tree growing in its natural state; 

 Fig. b a lateral from a Williams Bon 

 Chretien tree. 



The title sand pear can be 

 rightly appreciated by a glance 

 at the specimen illustrated in 

 Plate 2, its skin being covered 

 with a russet which much re- 

 sembles sand in appearance, and 

 which is a contrast to the 

 smoother skin of the European 

 pear. 



With Kieffer and other varie- 

 ties of sand pear type, the sand- 

 like characteristic is not so 

 marked as in the parent, but 

 still it is in evidence in a lesser 

 degree as are the other undesir- 

 able qualities of texture, coarse- 

 ness, and lack of juiciness. 



Although Belgium and France 

 may claim to be the home of the 

 pear, it is becoming more ap- 

 parent each year that the climate 

 of Victoria is highly suitable for 

 4ts perfect production. Varie- 

 ties raised in the countries 

 named when grown in this State 

 reproduce all their finest quality 

 characteristics, which is evidenced 

 by the favour found and tigh 

 prices obtained in England and 

 Europe from time to time for 

 Victorian-grown pears. 



Prospects of Pear Growing. 



The growing of pears before 

 the advent of the cool storage 

 syst-em was anything but profit- 

 able from the grower's point of 

 view. This was due to the in- 

 ability of growers to keep their 

 pears — especially the early varie- 

 ties — from ripening, and thus 

 causing the market to become 

 glutted. Consequently very poor 

 prices were obtained, which were 

 not in any way commensurate 

 with the labour and trouble of 

 production and marketing. With 

 cool storage, however, such un- 

 desirable conditions have been 

 changed, and it is now possible 

 for the pear-grower to regulate 



