1250 



PEAR 



The Peau in California. — Visitors at the old Cali- 

 fornia missions during the early part of the century 

 noted the presence of seedling Pear trees in the mis- 

 sion gardens. Many of these trees survived the neglect 

 which came upon the mission properties after the secu- 

 larization, and were in thrifty growth and bfiirinsr nf 

 the time of the American occupation. Thelii-t I'lar-^ 

 sold in San Francisco and in the mines in It^l'.i .n w. r. 

 gathered from old mission trees, and some of ilir^i .ii.i 

 trees grafted over, gave the first California prculurt ..1 

 the popular European and American varieties of half ;i 

 century ago. From this beginning the growth of Peais 

 increased until the commercial product of 1899 includ<il 

 the following: ICSi i-ark.;i<ls s, iit i.v.Tlan.l t<i east, iii 



Pears but bee 

 fully plant tin 

 the intrusiiiir 

 freer soil will 



■enter, the inte- 

 foliage enough 



cases more than the preceding year. There are about 

 one and one-half million Pear trees in California or- 

 chards. 



It is a most interesting fact that a single variety fur- 

 nishes a very great part, perhaps even as much as 

 four-fifths, of the Pear products of the state, and that is 

 the Bartlett. Whatever it may lack in high quality is 



ial ! 

 endures long 

 .f sufflciently 

 he California 



more than oomjiensated for i 



bility. II i- haiMls.. ui.l 



carriage. •■:<u~ \mI1 ami di-f^ 

 good qtlalitx !•• plra^c' ,-..ii,wi 

 grown Harilrit i^ san! ii> li, 

 riety grown in the Ailaniii' 

 Europe. This is nut, Imwrx,- 

 Bartlett so largely (.repMial. 

 ruling condition is fcuiel in 

 marked ditT.TiMic.>^ m I.., all 

 yet diffeviti- m s ■ i -ii. \, 



Bartlett 1,. ■ |. , ;- n|,.ailii- seas,,i,, an.l valley, 



coast ail.l li;":ilil: ;:M|I, Its fnll.AV ea.-h "llnr ll.|-<.Ugh 



nearly three monihs an.l ilm^ make Ml sM..n ,,f dif- 

 ferent varieties diiriiiL;' llii-i |"Ti<i.l niiiM'r,.ss;i,y. I'liere 

 is, however, at |.i'es.>i[t a ;;i-,-airr .lis|,.i~.iii,,n tlian 

 hitherto to extend the- sia^on l.y f,'r.>\viiii,' other vane- 

 ties, but they are selected tor reseruhlauee to the Bart- 

 lett type. Clapp Favorite is sold as an "Early Bart- 

 lett," and a Winter Bartlett, an Oregon seedling, is now 

 being plante.I to carry the same stvle of a Pear as late 







I; ! 1. i.iFERPEARwasgrowiifromseedof theChinese 

 ^aiKJ liar, probably crossed with the Bartlett, by Peter 

 Kierfer, a horticulturist, who lived near Philadelphia. 

 He first exhibited the fruit at the Centennial Exhibition, 

 in 187G, in that city. See p. 1242. The planting of or- 

 chards of this valuable Pear began soon after this time 

 and has continued ever since, more largely in the past 

 2 or 3 years than ever before. The Kieffer being won- 

 derfully productive, the planting having gone on apace, 

 and none of the earlier planted orchards having ceased 

 to exist, the question may properly arise, with the great 

 probable increase in the production of the fruit. What 

 of the markets? 



We in the East have been shipping Kieffer Pears by 

 car-loads, sometimes packed in barrels, at other times 

 loose or in bulk to l.e ptifked at destination, to cities in 

 the middle West, 1. lit those cities in the future will be 

 largely supplii a «itli I nut ;;io\vii nearby. This Pear 

 has grown in favoi- vviili cousuiiieis, to an extent fully 

 equal to the increased production. It was observed 

 in the Philadelphia and New York retail markets 

 and fruit stands that during the months of October 

 and November, in 1898 and 1899, there were very 

 few Pears offered, except the Kieffer. It is excellent 

 for canning and preserving, and it is fortunate that 

 such is the case, so that a large part of future crops 

 may be used in this manner. The Kieffer will flourish 

 on almost any ordinary farm land, but sandy loam is 

 preferred with gravel or clay subsoil, and prefer plant- 

 ing, what would generally be considered close, 150 to 

 200 trees per acre, leaving a driveway of 22 to 24 feet 

 every H or .'i rows, on which to cart the fruit from the 

 orchard By close planting the trees protect each other 

 from the winds to a great extent Two year trees are 

 best foi planting, let them head low, 2 or 3 feet, cut 

 bick It planting and annually foi several jears one- 

 half of pitceding year's growth, and keep top thinned 

 so it mil not be too dense In this way cue ^mU have a 

 stmdy tree that will carry two or more barrels of fruit 

 in such shape that the orchaid can be cultivated until 

 th !•( irs 11, tiiiiktlksi/ In tli< s. son of 1899 

 1 II T II from 80 



as possible. Still some progress is being made m ex- 

 tending the California list of popular Pears and some 

 of local and of distant origin will probably achieve 

 prominence, especially in the shipments to distant 

 markets. 



California Petir= av.- l-i-owti en p,.nr-see.llin'„' roots- 

 very litil- '■• !■ ■ '■ I'i"! to,- I ,'i,iI,,,/w ,,!• to 



dwarfiiiL' ' I ■ o ! . ■ I , curi- 



osity. Tie I : ' , , . , , :, , I.,, limes 



planted vviHi J ■,.,,■ i ,.-,-, i,oi i an-.- il,,) ai. Ii,'st for 



I ird In 

 ,1 Iv 11 I were not 



advisid t polhu itioii, and planted 



Iii^;c bl I III other sorts, the results 



wiie-SLiv I n trees neai to oi adjoin- 



ing oroh 11 I ts there Kieffer trees pro- 



duied unit ii 1\ -, 1 lis It was a heavy loss to 

 have an orchard in this shape for several years the 

 re medy seemed to be and w as to top graft some of the 

 Kieffei, and also to replant to other sorts blossoming at 

 the same time A mixture of not less than one tenth of 

 Le Conto or Garber answ ered the purpose One to 3 

 per cent of the orchard trees die annually from a sort 

 of body blight; the spaces are reset with other trees, 

 which bear fruit in a few years. In picking the fruit 

 we use ladders hung on wheels (old carriage wheels" 

 which are readily handled and safe. Ladders 12 to 24 or 

 even 30 feet can be used, but with one of 18 feet, properly 

 hung, a man can pick Pears from the top limbs 20 

 feet high and the ladder need not touch the tree. Fig. 

 1090. The orchard can be gone over quickly and the high 

 Pears picked first, these being most likely to be blown 

 off and to be bruised in falling. We use, in handling 



