PEAR 



PEAR 



2507 



alone are successful, and the leaders are Kieffer, 

 LeConte, Garber, and Smith. The most notable pear 

 of early American origin is undoubtedly the Seckel, 

 which originated near Philadelphia in the eighteenth 

 century. As late as 1880, the tree presented the appear- 

 ance shown in Fig. 2816, which appeared (in larger size) 

 in the Gardener's Monthly. In 1908, all that remained 

 was a dead and decayed stump (Fig. 2817). 



The season of the maturity of pears runs from mid- 

 summer, when it is introduced by Summer Doyenne 

 and (Manning) Elizabeth, to late winter, when it is 

 closed with such late winter varieties as Nelis (Winter 

 Xelis), Malines, and others. The winter pears are rela- 

 tively little known in the eastern states. As a rule, 

 they come into bearing late or are not very prolific; but 

 there is no reason why they should not be better 

 known. Winter pears are kept as are winter apples, 

 although somewhat greater care is necessary. They 

 should be stored in a uniformly cool temperature. If 

 allowed to hang too long on the tree, they become 

 over-ripe, and then if placed in an ordinarily warm 

 cellar, they do not keep more than one or two months. 



Unlike most other fruits, all pears are greatly 

 improved in quality if they are ripened indoors. They 

 should be picked as soon as they have reached their 

 full size and have begun to color, but before they have 

 become soft, and be placed in a dry and rather cool 

 room. If the wind is allowed to blow over them, they 

 are likely to shrivel. If kept too warm, they ripen too 

 quickly and soon rot. The best quality is secured when 

 they are picked about two weeks in advance of their 

 normal ripening. 



Pears are marketed much as are apples, although the 

 barrel is little used for the dessert varieties. For export, 

 as well as for a good home trade, the following sentences 

 by George T. Powell are useful: "The fruit should be 

 gathered when it has reached its most perfect develop- 

 ment, but not allowed to come to its full maturity or 

 approximate ripening. This is the right condition of 

 fruit when it i3 to be shipped without refrigeration. 

 With refrigeration, a little fuller maturity may be 

 allowed. Each specimen should be wrapped in paper. 

 A layer of excelsior should be placed on the bottom of 

 the box, which is marked to be opened; over this place 

 a sheet of paper. Pack the pears in single layers, 

 covering each with paper and excelsior until the box is 

 filled, nailing cover securely under considerable pres- 

 sure. Boxes should hold thirty-six large pears, and 

 sixty of medium size. [Fig. 2818.] This is a refinement 

 of even the best packing for the common domestic 

 trade. [Fig. 2819.]" 



Dwarf pears. 



When worked on the quince root, the pear is easily 

 grown as a dwarf. The free stocks those grown nor- 

 mally' on pear roots are known in this country as 

 standards. The dwarf pear comes into bearing earlier, 

 and, since the trees are small, the fruit can be thinned 

 and the trees sprayed, and the fruit therefore should be 

 of the highest quality. Dwarf pear trees require more 

 care than the ordinary standards, however, and they 

 should not be planted unless the cultivator understands 

 this fact and is willing to give the attention that they 

 need. Although the trees are by nature dwarf, since 

 they are worked on a smaller-growing species, they 

 nevertheless tend to become half standard if left to 

 themselves. Therefore they must be very severely 

 headed-in every year. A dwarf pear tree should never 

 reach a greater height than 12 feet. To keep it down to 

 this stature, from one-half to two-thirds of the annual 

 growth is removed late each winter. The trees are 

 often planted as close together as 10 feet each way, but 

 this is too close. With the ordinary broad-top pruning, 

 which nearly all American growers give, 1 rod apart 

 each way is not too great. A good dwarf pear tree is 

 one in which the union with the quince stock is very 



close to the ground. When the tree is planted, this 

 union should be 4 to 6 inches below the surface after 

 the ground has settled. This deep planting prevents 

 the breaking of the union and places the quince beyond 

 the reach of borers. If planted deeper than this, the 

 pear cion may throw out roots of its own; in fact, it 

 sometimes does this if planted only 6 inches deep. This 

 rooting of the stock is no particular disadvantage, 

 although the tree thereafter tends to grow stronger and 

 greater pruning is necessary. An expert grower can 

 pick out the trees which are rooted from the pear stock 

 by their more vigorous growth: if he desires to check 

 this redundant growth he may cut off the pear roots. 

 It is the common opinion that dwarf pear trees are 



2808. The sand pear. Pyrus serotina. ( X H) 



short-lived. This may be true as regards the greater 

 number of specimens which one sees about yards and 

 on untilled areas, but a dwarf pear orchard on good 

 well-drained ground, which is well-tilled and given 

 regular pruning, will last a lifetime. Many varieties of 

 pears do well when grafted on the quince root, but the 

 one that is oftenest grown as a dwarf is the Angouleme 

 (Duchesse d' Angouleme). (Fig. 2820.) This is a large 

 pear of irregular shape which sells well because of its 

 size, but it is of indifferent quality and may not be good 

 enough for a special or personal market. Other varie- 

 ties popular for dwarfs are Louise Bonne, Anjou, Clair- 

 geau, Elizabeth, and, to a less extent, Bartlett and 

 Seckel. Even Kieffer is sometimes dwarfed with satis- 

 factory results. The growing of dwarf pears is a special 

 practice; in general it is not commercially profitable. 



Writing on dwarf pears from a long experience in 

 New York, L. T. Yeomans says: "The soil best adapted 

 to dwarf pears is a rich loam, with a subsoil that 

 requires thorough underdraining a tile drain within 

 5 feet of every tree in the orchard would be thorough 

 draining. The soil should be good strong corn or potato 

 ground, and kept in such condition of fertility from year 

 to year, for which purpose good well-composted barn- 

 yard manure has no equal, but may be supplemented 

 by other fertilizers as ground bone and potash. Small 

 crops, as beans and potatoes, may be grown between 

 the trees the first few years after planting, but never 

 should they be allowed in the least to interfere with 

 thorough tillage, or to rob the trees of proper and desira- 



