2506 



PEAR 



blight, with the result that the LeCpnte is gradually 

 lessening in importance and its place is being taken by 

 the Kieffer, although the latter is by no means blight- 

 free. The Kieffer pear originated with Peter Kieffer, of 

 Roxborough, Philadelphia, an Alsatian gardener, who 

 died in 1890. He grew the Chinese sand pear or Sha 



2806. Bartlett pear. The pyriform or "pear-shaped" form of fruit. ( X J-3) 



Lea and sold the seedlings as ornamental trees, for this 

 species is of very distinct and handsome growth and the 

 fruit is ornamental and fragrant. Alongside the sand 

 pears were Bartletts. Amongst one of the batches of 

 seedlings from the sand pear he noticed a plant with 

 different foliage, and this he saved. Its fruit was found 

 to be superior to the sand pear, and it was introduced 

 as the Kieffer. It fruited in 1873. The Kieffer pear is 

 now very popular in many parts of the country because 

 of its great vigor, healthiness, productiveness, and the 

 keeping qualities of the fruit. In point of quality, the 

 fruit is distinctly inferior, but it meets the demands of 

 the market and is an excellent fruit for canning. 



Pyrus serotina itself bears a very hard pear which is 

 inedible in the raw state, but it is excellent when used 

 as quinces are. It is fragrant and ornamental. The 

 tree is a most vigorous and clean grower. The plant is 

 well worth growing as an ornamental. It is used for 

 stock for ordinary pears, particularly in the southern 

 states. For an historical and horticultural account of 

 the oriental pears and their hybrids, see Bulletin No. 

 332, Cornell Experiment Station, by Cox (under direc- 

 tion of the late John Craig). 



In the cold prairie countries and other parts of the 

 cold north, Russian pears have gained some headway 

 in recent years. These are hardy types of Pyrus corn- 

 munis. The fruit is usually of low quality, but the 

 trees are considerably hardier than the ordinary pear. 



Pear-culture is the one American fruit industry which 

 seems to show little expansion. Pears are not a popu- 

 lar dessert fruit in this country, and the product is 

 largely used in canning. This is a great pity, and a loss 

 to the people. The cultivation of the Kieffer on a large 

 scale has probably bred a generation of people who are 

 little aware that the pear is a fruit that may be good to 

 eat out of hand; and the commercial and cultural 

 difficulties are greater than with other fruits. 



The pear thrives on a variety of soils, but it succeeds 

 best on those that are rather hard clay. On sandy and 

 loamy lands it tends to be short-lived. This is perhaps 

 due, in part, to the fact that trees grow rapidly on such 

 lands, and are, therefore, more liable to the attacks of 

 blight. It is now generally accepted that trees which are 

 making a strong and soft growth are more susceptible to 

 blight than those which grow rather slow and firm, 



PEAR 



although all trees are liable to attack. Some varieties 

 are more nearly immune than others. Caution must be 

 exercised, therefore, in the tilling of the pear orchard. 

 Whilst pears profit by the best tillage, as apples and 

 potatoes do, it is easy to carry the tilling and fertilizing 

 so far as to produce too vigorous growth and thereby 

 invite the blight, and this disease is the one great menace 

 to pear-culture. Therefore the most careful pear- 

 growers use sparingly of stable manure and of nitrog- 

 enous cover-crops. They prefer to supply fertility by 

 means of concentrated fertilizers which are not very 

 rich in nitrogen. If, however, the trees are not making 

 a strong and steady growth, it is as necessary to apply 

 nitrogenous fertilizers to the pear tree as to any other. 

 In the interior country, pears are likely to suffer from 

 sun-scald, and therefore the tops are started very low, 

 usually not more than 2 or 3 feet from the ground. 

 Standard pears (those not grown as dwarfs) are pruned 

 much as are apple trees, except not so severely. Heavy 

 pruning may open the top and invite sun-scald, and it 

 also tends to make too strong and sappy growth. After 

 the top of the pear tree is well formed and established, 

 it is customary to do little pruning, only keeping the 

 top fairly free and open. 



The pear bears mostly on spurs which con- 

 tinue to branch and to bear for a number of 

 years, and in pruning it is important that these 

 spurs be not removed unless it is desired to thin 

 the fruit. The flowers are borne in umbel-like 

 cymes (Fig. 2805), but in most k : nds only one 

 fruit sets in a cluster. Pear trees are usually 

 planted much closer than apple trees. The customary 

 distance is 18 to 20 feet. Fig. 2812 shows an average 

 east- American pear orchard. Fig. 2813 is a picking 

 scene. 



Many of the varieties of pears are infertile with them- 

 selves: they need the pollen of other varieties to cause 

 them to set fruit freely. Probably any variety will 

 fertilize any other variety in case the two bloom simul- 

 taneously. Such varieties as Kieffer and Bartlett are 

 usually classed as self-sterile kinds, but the degree of 

 sterility varies in different places and with different 

 conditions. The safest plan in the setting of a pear 

 orchard is to plant not more than two rows of one 

 variety together, and to alternate with one or two rows 

 of another variety. 



Good varieties of pears are numerous. The one most 

 important variety is the Bartlett (Fig. 2806), which was 

 early introduced into the United States from Europe, 



2807. The globular or apple-shaped form of fruit. Idaho pear. 



where it is known as the Bonchretien. At present, the 

 Kieffer probably holds second place. In the eastern 

 states, the Seckel (Fig. 2814) is a prominent variety, 

 and is the standard of quality. Other prominent varie- 

 ties are Anjou (Fig. 2815), Clairgeau, Hardy, Howell, 

 Sheldon, and Diel. The list might be almost indefinitely 

 extended. In the Gulf region, the oriental hybrids 



