RESEARCH FROM OTHER AREAS 



The March 1962 Issue of Farm Research published by the New York State 

 Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva and the Cornell University Agricultural 

 Experiment Station at Ithaca contained an article written by Karl D. Brase, 

 Department of Pomology, Geneva titled "Dwarf Pear Trees - Where and Where Not To 

 Plant". Since the subject is of interest to Massachusetts fruit growers, the 

 information below is taken from this article. 



"Any one of several different apple clones may be used as a rootstock for 

 apples to produce small and early bearing trees. There are no known Pyrus 

 communis or pear clones that can be similarly used for pears. To obtain a "dwarf" 

 pear tree, a rootstock must be used that belongs to a different genus than the 

 pear, namely, Cydonia , the quince. Three different quince clones are commonly 

 employed; namely. Angers Quince, EM type A, and the Common Quince, EM types, B 

 and C. Only the first. Angers, type A can be recommended as a satisfactory 

 dwarfing rootstock for the pear under New York conditions. 



"It must also be kept in mind that the quince rootstock is actually less 

 hardy to lower winter temperatures than the pear. Pear trees on quince cannot 

 survive in areas that frequently experience periods with little or no snow cover 

 combined with temperatures of - 10° F or lower. 



"The quince rootstock requires a deep fertile soil with good moisture holding 

 capacity. Even an excess of soil moisture in the spring may be tolerated if 

 sufficient organic matter is present in the soil. Pear trees on a quince root- 

 stock grow poorly on the lighter "droughty" soils, and in soils that tend to be 

 acid. The success or failure of "dwarf" pear trees, on quince roots, depends 

 largely on the site that is selected. 



"Not only is the planting location important. The variety must also be 

 carefully considered. No pear variety is fully compatible with quince rootstocks. 

 Incompatibility may be complete, i.e. a bud inserted on quince does not grow at 

 all; the variety Bosc behaves in this manner. Some varieties will grow, but make 

 weak graft unions. Such combinations often show chlorotic foliage, weak shoot 

 growth, and may break off at the union. Bartlett and Clapp's Favorite behave in 

 this manner when worked directly on quince. Still other varieties make strong 

 graft unions, have healthy foliage, and produce strong shoot growth. This group 

 includes Cornice, Beurre Hardy, Duchess of Angouleme and Old Home. 



"Wherever dwarf trees of Bartlett, Bosc or Clapp's Favorite are to be grown 

 a compatible interstock must be used between the rootstock and the variety. The 

 nurseryman should propagate these three varieties in the following manner: the 

 recommended compatible variety, preferably Beurre Hardy or Old Home is budded to 

 the quince rootstock. The following year Bartlett or another variety that is to 

 form the fruit bearing top is budded on the interstock variety, at a point 5 to 

 6 inches above the union of the rootstock and the interstock. Three seasons in 

 the nursery are required to produce a salable Bartlett by this technique. 



"The interstock variety. Old Home is also fire blight resistant. For this 

 reason it might be an advantage to use it not only as an interstock, but also as 



