PEAR GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 



279 



The trees become large and are quite hard.y although blight affects 

 them commonly. The twigs are brown in color and have the habit of 

 twisting into various shapes. They have the tendency to grow long and 

 slender. From the standpoint of production this variety is, under most 

 conditions favorable to pears, all that could be desired. Without 

 thinning and proper pruning the fruit is apt to be small. 



In California there is no better pear on the market, during the holiday 

 season, than the "Winter Nelis. On December 27, 1916, the writer made 

 an investigation of the San Francisco markets to determine what 

 varieties of winter pears were being sold during the holidaj^ season. 



Fig. 9f 



Leaf of Winter Nelis. 



Fig. 96. Winter Nelis. 



The following notation was made on that date: "There was a notice- 

 able scarcity of all varieties, but the following were found in small 

 numbers : Anjou. Winter Nelis, Easter Beurre, Pound, Clairgeau, Vicar 

 of Wakefield and Kieffer. Winter Nelis were selling for from $2.00 to 

 $3.00 per box ; Clairgeau, Easter Beurre, Kieffer and Pound for from 

 75 cents to $1.25 per box. Three pears of the Pound variety were 

 bought from a fruit vendor who has a stand near the Ferry Building, 

 for 10 cents. They were hard and nonedible. Three Anjou pears were 

 bought at a fruit stand in the Ferry Building, for 10 cents ; these were 

 excellent for eating. They were grown in Oregon." Of all the 

 varieties seen during this investigation only Winter Nelis and Anjou 

 were worthy of the name pear. There should be a good winter market 



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