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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



THE KIEFFER PEAR. 



[Gist of the discussion before the recent meeting of the N. J. Hort. Society.] 



, jj_j^ICKED early, when two-thirds grown, 



^-^ and ripened in dark with quality at 

 '' its best, the KiefFer pear brings hij^^h- 

 est price, but is too tender to ship to 

 any distance. In the fall of '99 a great 

 demand was had from canners. Many of 

 these to save expense of sugar used a chem- 

 ically prepared sweet having 50 times the 

 strength of sugar. When first canned it was 

 a f erfect success, but later the acid employed 

 in the preparation discolored the fruit and ail- 

 so dissolved the tin coating of can, causing 

 syrup in can to have a metalic taste, and 

 eat holes in the iron plate, resulting in total 

 loss oi the canned fruit; one canner lost 

 $50,000. Where sugar was used in can- 

 ning the result was financial success, yet too 

 few put up to test the market. In igoo, while 

 in some sections a slight demand was had 

 for canning, no sales were made in the heavy 

 producing sections. 



Prof. Smith said the San Jose scale is here 

 to stay and that hereafter only careful grow- 

 ers could raise Kieffer. Both scale and 

 oriental pears come from Japan, but the 

 scale dose not thrive on them, but on Amer- 

 ican crosses it is at home. The scale can be 

 kept in check with care, but the man running 

 the sprayer must use judgment in spraying. 

 Crude petroleum rightly applied will kill 

 scale. 



Rust or clouding of fruit. Prof. Smith said, 

 is not caused by an insect. Prof. Halstead, 

 state botanist, was not prepared to say what 

 the cause was, as it might be one of several. 

 It might be inherent. All Japan pears had 

 a natural discoloration of skin — skin very 

 thin and tender, easily discolored. Exces- 

 sive spraying and any spraying for cloud was 

 excessive, as it does no good. It is a corky 

 growth on the surface of fruit, when skin 

 has been injured, and is favored by shade, lack 

 of ventilation, want of sunshine and heavv 



dews, as oriental pears originated in a dry, 

 hot sunshiny climate. 



As to tho advisability oi planting more 

 trees, D. D. Denise, one of the largest pear 

 growers in the state, said this is a difficult 

 problem to solve. The tree is a nice, rapid 

 grower, bears early and quality is better 

 than when first introduced. Quality now 

 equal to many other varieties of pears now 

 marketed. It is more proof against insects 

 and blight than most other varieties. Local 

 markets are over crowded, yet there is plenty 

 of demand from more distant markets. Mr. 

 Denise's little KiefFer orchard of from 1 200 to 

 1500 trees has netted him more money than 

 all the rest of his farm. In 1900, $100 p. a. 

 net yield 200 bbls. p. a. ; price no lower 

 than best apples, and yield much greater. 

 He keeps heads of trees open for air, sun- 

 light and ventilation, to guard against cloud- 

 iness of fruit. Trees succeed best on sandy 

 soil not too rich, but they must be taken care 

 of. An orchard 10 miles from Mr. Denise's 

 from which ungraded fruit was sent to mar- 

 ket, netted owner only 7c. p. bbl. ; "not a 

 paying crop. 



John S. Collins, the heaviest Kieffer pear 

 grower in N. J. said crop of 1900 did not 

 pay. No sale for surplus, as canneries did 

 not want them and those placed in cold stor- 

 age were doing no better. Pears for cold 

 storage should be picked before they color, 

 and as soon as the stem separates readily 

 from limb. Manure sufficiently to give size, 

 color and quality ; a starved tree never gives 

 good quality fruit. 



In the light of all that can be gathered, I 

 consider the future of the Kieffer pears an open 

 question, but let no one plant it unless he is 

 prepared to watch and care for them. The 

 season of 1900 has not been a fair test so far 

 as N. J. is concerned as to its future. — J. B. 

 Rosrers. 



