IDENTIFICATION OF PEAR VARIETIES 9 



the growing tip. Usually the important lenticel characteristics can be seen to 

 the best advantage somewhat back from the tip of the shoot. 



The shoot pubescence is often a valuable character in the identification of pear 

 varieties. It may vary from light as in Bosc through medium as in Bartlett to 

 heavy as in Anjou (Figure 4). Occasionally it is very light as in Bantam. Pubes- 

 cence is usually whitish but in two varieties, Kieffer and Garber, it is a rusty 

 brown color. With Douglas, it usually is orange colored near the terminal bud 

 but whitish elsewhere. 



The bark color may be of value in both one-year and two-year trees. The color 

 of two-year trtink hark is usually a mixture of greens, yellows, and browns. A few 

 examples are: Covert, grayish green; Willard, greenish brown; Bartlett, medium 

 yellowish brown; Sheldon, light to medium brown; Cayuga, medium brown; 

 Seckel, rather dark brown; Clapp Favorite, reddish brown; Bantam, dark gray- 

 ish brown; Cay wood, purplish brown. The color of one-year bark generally con- 

 tains more green and red but less yellow and brown than that of two-year bark. 

 Examples are: Dana Hovey, green to brownish green; Comice, prevailingly green 

 to dull brown; Douglas, brown; Flemish Beauty, reddish brown; Clapp Favorite, 

 red. The typical one-year bark color is usually found on the lower half of the 

 growing shoot. 



The color oj the young shoots near the shoot tips is often worthy of note and 

 is frequently green, pink, reddish tinged, or reddish. 



LEAF CHARACTERS 



The color oJ the growing tip or the small young unfolding leaves at the tip of a 

 shoot is often a very valuable variety character, especially since differences often 

 become evident very early in the growing season. As the season progresses, 

 the tips in general are apt to take on somewhat more reddish coloration, but 

 still maintain their relative order for this character. A few examples of growing- 

 tip color are: Dana Hovey, green; Clairgeau, slightly reddish tinged; Anjou, 

 pinkish tinged; Bosc, reddish tinged; Pulteney, reddish; Douglas, red. 



The petiole or leaf stem is of some importance. The angle that the petiole 

 makes with an upright shoot Is usually about 45° or halfway between horizontal 

 and vertical. Such a petiole is called medium-angled. However ,'in some vari- 

 eties the petioles are wide-angled as in Ovid, or occasionally narrow-angled as 

 in "False Bosc." Petioles vary in length, thickness, and color. They may be 

 short and thick as In Walte, long and moderately slender as in Vermont Beauty, 

 short and slender as In Gorham, or long and slender as In Bantam. The color 

 of petioles varies from green as In Bantam through reddish tinged as in Anjou 

 to reddish as in Douglas. 



The "leafiness" of pear shoots varies with variety. Some varieties like Wilder 

 are more "leafy" than average. With others, like Vermont Beauty, the foliage 

 is rather sparse (Figure 1). 



The size of the leaf blade is often influenced materially by the vigor of growth 

 of a tree. Nevertheless, differences In leaf size are quite dependable between 

 varieties. Average size of the blade varies from small as In Bantam to large as 

 in Garber. With most varieties, the basal shoot leaves are usually somewhat 

 larger than the others and the younger leaves near the shoot tips are smaller 

 than average. However, with a few varieties like Duchess and Douglas, large 

 leaf size Is often characteristic of all leaves even to the tip of a shoot, particularly 

 after the terminal bud has formed and length growth has ceased. 



Leaf shape is often roundish oval as in Seckel, oval as In KlefTer, ovate as in 

 Willard, or elliptic as in Caywood (Figure 5). The leaves normally described 



