FRUIT IMPROVEMENT 93 



But be that as it may, the point I wish to em- 

 phasize at the moment is that the pigmented coat 

 of the apple has been produced mostly by un- 

 conscious artificial selection. There can be no 

 doubt that the pear could be given a brightly 

 colored skin should anyone take the trouble to 

 make the experiment in selective breeding. 



Indeed, a few varieties of partly red pears 

 have been developed, and have proved a valua- 

 ble novelty in the market. Other and better 

 varieties, variously tinted, should follow. 



It has been suggested that a globular or apple- 

 shaped pear with a short stem would be accepta- 

 ble to the packers because it would crate more 

 compactly and carry better than the ordinary 

 pear. But this would rob the fruit of one of its 

 distinctive characters, so on the whole the change 

 would probably not be an improvement. In the 

 matter of size, also, it would appear that the pear, 

 in its best varieties, has attained a maximum 

 development. 



To make it much larger would be detrimental, 

 as it would be shaken from the tree by the wind. 

 Even now some varieties are so large that they 

 break away from the tree before ripening, and 

 so these varieties are avoided. The Beurre Clair- 

 geau, one of the best of all pears, is little grown 

 for this very reason. 



