THE PEAR 



The Pear appears to have been one of the earliest 

 fruits cultivated by man. Ihe wild species, called Pyrus 

 communis, is native to Asia and Europe, and its fruit, 

 or that of cultivated varieties derived from it, has been 

 prized since long before the dawn of recorded history. 

 The great majority of the cultivated varieties now grown 

 in Europe and America are direct descendants of this 

 species. 



Another species of Wild Pear, called Pyrus Sinensis, is 

 native to China, whence it has been widely distributed 

 over the earth. It is known as the Sand Pear, Chinese 

 Pear, and Japanese Pear. Its fruit is of Httle value as 

 compared with the other type, but the tree is of a decided 

 ornamental appearance and has been cultivated for 

 landscape garden purposes. During the nineteenth cen- 

 tury Peter Kieffer, a Philadelphia nurseryman, origi- 

 nated a hybrid between this Sand Pear and the European 

 Pear which was introduced as the Kieffer and proved 

 a very valuable sort for commercial growers. Another 

 valuable hybrid of the same sort has been introduced 

 since as the Leconte Pear. 



So it happens that the great majority of our cultivated 

 varieties of Pears belong to the European species, while 

 a very few are hybrids between that species and the 

 Sand Pear. The fruit of the former is of better quahty, 

 but the trees of the hybrids are more vigorous and able 

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