- 8 



PEAR VARIETY NOTES 



James F. Anderson 

 Department of Plant and Soil 



Sciences 



Because of an increased interest in pear growing in Massachu- 

 setts, particularly by those operating roadside stands, the follow- 

 ing comments are reprinted from earlier issues of Fruit Notes. 

 Harvest dates and pressure test readings mentioned in the write- 

 ups are for the 1965 harvest season and are given as a point of 

 interest only. Harvest dates will vary from season to season and 

 orchard to orchard. The pressure tests were made with a Magness- 

 Taylor pressure tester, using a 5/16" diameter head in contrast to 

 the 7/16" diameter head used for apples. The following 7 varieties 

 have been recommended for commercial planting in Massachusetts for 

 a number of years . 



Clapp Favorite The fruit is large, greenish-yellow with a blushed 

 cheek and good in quality. The fruit has a high suscep- 

 tibility to core breakdown if picked late. The fruit 

 is usually ready for harvest in mid-August in Amherst. 

 The tree is hardy and productive, but it is highly sus- 

 ceptible to fire blight. 



Bartlett A medium to large, attractive, high quality pear. Bart- 

 lett is picked in late August or early September. We 

 picked Bartlett on August 27, when the average pressure 

 test reading was 20 pounds. The tree is medium in size 

 and is productive. 



Gorham A seedling of Bartlett which it resembles in size and 



color. The flesh is white, tender and juicy. Unlike 

 most pear varieties, the fruit will ripen in cold stor- 

 age. Last season the fruit held up well in storage until 

 the end of January. The fruit was harvested on the 3rd 

 of September when the average pressure test was 13 pounds 

 This fruit was eating ripe in cold storage in early 

 December. Gorham is said to require a higher level of 

 nutrition than Bartlett to maintain production. 



Seokel A popular variety for pickling. The fruit is small, 



often with a bronze russet and very high quality. The 

 tree is large, upright spreading and productive in al- 

 ternate years . 



Flemish A large attractive, high quality pear. The fruit was 



picked September 3rd, when the average pressure test was 

 12 pounds. Flemish is susceptible to pear scab, but 

 this can be readily controlled with present fungicides. 

 The tree is large, vigorous, very hardy and productive 

 in al ternate years . 



