1250 



PEAR 



PEAR 



THE PEAR 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 bearing at 

 the time of the American occupation. The first Pears 

 sold in San Francisco and in the mines in 1849-50 were 

 gathered from old mission trees, and some of these old 

 trees grafted over, gave the first California product of 

 the popular European and American varieties of half a 

 century ago. From this beginning the growth of Pears 

 increased until the commercial product of 1899 included 

 the following: 1684 carloads sent overland to eastern 

 and foreign markets (about the same as for the five 

 years preceding) ; 5,760,000 Ibs. dried Pears shipped to 

 the same destination (a million pounds less than the 

 preceding year) ; 483,384 cases of canned Bartletts and 

 24,772 cases of other Pears canned, which was 140,000 

 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 

 more than compensated for by its commercial servicea- 

 bility. It is handsome and of good size, endures long 

 carriage, cans well and dries well, and is of sufficiently 

 good quality to please consumers : in fact the California 

 grown Bartlett is said to be better than the same va- 

 riety grown in the Atlantic states and in the west of 

 Europe. This is not, however, the chief reason why the 

 Bartlett so largely preponderates in California. The 

 ruling condition is found in the fact that owing to the 

 marked differences in localities not widely distant and 

 yet differing in elevation, in exposure to coast influ- 

 ences and away from them, and other local causes, the 

 Bartlett has a very long ripening season, and valley, 

 coast and mountain Bartletts follow each other through 

 nearly three months and thus make succession of dif- 

 ferent varieties during this period unnecessary. There 

 is, however, at present a greater disposition than 

 hitherto to extend the season by growing other varie- 

 ties, but they are selected for resemblance to the Bart- 

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

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

 being planted to carry the same style of a Pear as late 







1691. Dwarf Pear trees 45 years old, in the Yeomans orchard. 



as possible. Still some progress is being made in 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 Pears are grown on Pear-seedling roots- 

 very little recourse being had to rooted cuttings or to 

 dwarfing stocks. A dwarf Pear tree is almost a curi- 

 osity. The heavier loams and even clays are sometimes 

 planted with Pear trees, not because they are best for 



Pears but because other fruits do worse than they. To 

 fully plant the area intended for fruit, Pears will go on 

 the intrusions of heavy or too moist soils, while the 

 freer soil will be given to other fruits. Still the chief 

 product of Pears is from the best loams California 

 affords, and the profits, from the tree warrant the use 

 of such land. Pear trees are regularly pruned to a low 

 vase form, but seldom opened in the center, the inte- 

 rior being used for bearing wood, and foliage enough 

 retained to partially shade the fruit. The fruit is 

 thinned to favor size and to relieve the tree from over- 

 bearing. Irrigation is employed in some parts of the state. 

 The varieties chiefly grown are the following : Bartlett, 

 Anjou, Clairgeau, Clapp, Cornice, Dana Hovey, Easter, 

 Hardy, P. Barry (a California seedling), Seckel, and 

 Winter Nelis. E. J. WICKSON. 



THE KIEFFER PEAR was grown from seed of the Chinese 

 Sand Pear, probably crossed with the Bartlett, by Peter 

 Kieffer, a horticulturist, who lived near Philadelphia. 

 He first exhibited the fruit at the Centennial Exhibition, 

 in 1876, 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 be packed at destination, to cities in 

 the middle West, but those cities in the future will be 

 largely supplied with fruit grown near by. This Pear 

 has grown in favor with consumers, 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 3 or 5 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 for planting; let them head low, 2 or 3 feet, cut 

 back at planting and annually for several years one- 

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

 so it will not be too dense. In this way one will have a 

 sturdy tree that will carry two or more barrels of fruit 

 in such shape that the orchard can be cultivated until 

 the Pears are of marketable size. In the season of 1899 

 a yield of over 16,000 barrels of Kieffers was had from 80 

 acres of land, and now, on August 30, 1900, there is a 

 prospect of a similar yield. An 8-foot Clark cutaway, 

 drawn by 4 mules, is still running .in the orchard. In 

 our first orchard planting of the Kieffer we were not 

 advised of the importance of pollination, and planted 

 large blocks without mixing in other sorts ; the results 

 were very little fruit, except on trees near to or adjoin- 

 ing orchards of other varieties ; there Kieffer trees pro- 

 duced uniformly good crops. It was a heavy loss to 

 have an orchard in this shape for several years; the 

 remedy seemed to be, and was, to top-graft some of the 

 Kieffer, and also to replant to other sorts blossoming at 

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

 Le Conte or Garber answered 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. 

 1690. 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 



