CHAPTER V 

 VARIETIES OF PEARS 



As compared with other hardy fruits, the pear 

 reaches high perfection in few places in the 

 United States, and nowhere succeeds quite so 

 well as in parts of France, Belgium, and Eng- 

 land. It is not surprising, then, to learn that, 

 while the Europeans have listed about 5000 

 varieties of pears, current American fruit pub- 

 lications have never mentioned more than 

 1000. In 1872, the Downings described 997 

 varieties of pears, but many of the descriptions 

 were from European fruit-books of varieties 

 probably never grown on this side of the 

 Atlantic, since the catalogs of that date offer 

 only about 300 varieties. It is surprising, how- 

 ever, to find that probably not more than 

 100 varieties of pears are now discussed 

 in current pomological literature, and that 

 nurserymen's catalogs for 1920 list only 60 

 odd varieties, and this in spite of the fact that 

 the pear industry in the country is now many 

 times greater than in 1872, when fruit-books 

 contained 1000 names of pears. Feeling that 

 only fruits under cultivation in America 

 should be included in this manual, the author 

 describes only the varieties now being sold 

 by nurserymen and sorts likely to be found in 

 old orchards. All of the descriptions, without 

 exception, are made from trees growing at 

 Geneva, New York. 



ANDRE DESPORTES. This old French 

 sort is still listed by a few American nursery- 

 men. The pears are handsome and very good 

 in quality, but they quickly soften at the 

 center and neither keep nor ship well. While 

 usually of medium size, or sometimes large, 

 the pears often run small. The variety is well 

 worth planting in a collection, but has no 

 value in a commercial plantation, and there 

 are many better sorts for home orchards. The 

 parent tree of this variety sprang from the 

 seed-beds of M. Andre Leroy, the well-known 

 authority on pomology, at Angers, France. 



Tree characteristically upright and vigorous, hardy ; 

 branches slender, smooth, marked with small lenticels. 

 Leaves 2% inches long, 1% inches wide, ovate, stiff, 

 leathery ; apex taper-pointed ; margin glandular, slightly 

 crenate ; petiole 1 Vz inches long. Flowers showy, 1 ^4 

 inches across, occasionally tinged pink, in dense clusters, 

 averaging 9 flowers to a cluster. Fruit ripe in August; 

 medium in size, 2% inches long, 2% inches wide, 

 pbovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, uniform ; stem 1 

 inch long, thick, curved ; cavity obtuse, shallow, dotted 

 with russet, often lipped ; calyx small, open ; lobes 

 separated at the base, short, narrow, acute ; basin 

 shallow, narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed, symmetrical ; 

 skin thin, tender, smooth; color dull greenish-yellow, 

 dotted and marbled with reddish-brown, blushed on the 

 sunny side ; dots numerous, small, light colored, obscure ; 

 flesh tinged with yellow, fine, tender and melting, 



buttery, juicy, sweet, aromatic ; quality very good ; 

 core large, closed, with clasping core-lines ; calyx-tube 

 short, wide, conical ; seeds small, wide, plump, acute. 



ANGOULEME: See Duchesse d'Angou- 

 leme. 



ANJOU: See Beurre d'Anjou. 



ANSAULT. The fruits of Ansault rival 

 those of Seckel in quality. In particular, the 

 flesh is notable, being described by the term 

 "buttery" rather better than that of any other 

 pear. The rich sweet flavor and distinct but 

 delicate perfume contribute to making the 

 fruits of highest quality. Unfortunately, the 

 pears are small, and the green coat, nearly 

 covered with russet dots and markings, is dull, 

 though enlivened somewhat at full maturity 

 by a rich yellow. The tree is vigorous, pro- 

 ductive, bears annually, and is not more sub- 

 ject to blight than that of the average variety. 

 While not at all suitable for commercial or- 

 chards, Ansault should find a place in every 

 collection of pears for home use. This pear 

 was raised from seed in the nurseries of M. 

 Andre Leroy, Angers, France. The parent tree 

 bore fruit first in 1863. 



Tree large, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive ; 

 branches thick, dull brownish-red, with numerous, raised 

 lenticels. Leaves numerous, 2% inches long, 1% inches 

 wide, ovate or broadly oval, leathery ; apex abruptly 

 pointed ; margin finely serrate, with small, reddish, 

 sharp-pointed glands ; petiole 1 % inches long, slender, 

 glabrous. Flowers 1% inches across, in dense clusters, 

 7 to 9 flowers in a cluster. Fruit ripens in late Sep- 

 tember and early October ; medium in size, 2 % inches 

 wide, uniform, obtuse-obovate-pyriform, slightly irregu- 

 lar ; stein % inch long, shore, thick ; cavity obtuse, 

 russeted, furrowed, slightly ribbed ; calyx partly open, 

 large ; lobes acute ; basin abrupt, furrowed and wrin- 

 kled ; skin roughened with russet markings and dots ; 

 color dull greenish -yellow changing to pale yellow, con- 

 siderably russeted about the basin and cavity with 

 russet dots, with scattered flecks and patches of russet ; 

 dots numerous, small, russet ; flesh tinged with yellow, 

 granular at the center, melting and tender, buttery, very 

 juicy, sweet, aromatic ; quality good to very good ; core 

 closed, axile, the core-lines clasping ; calyx-tube long, 

 narrow, funnel-shaped ; seeds short, plump, obtuse. 



BARTLETT. Fig. 70. Williams' Bon 

 Chretien. Williams. Bartlett leads all other 

 pears in number of trees in America. Its 

 fruits are more common and more popular 

 than those of any other pear. The pre- 

 eminently meritorious character of Bartlett is 

 its great adaptability to different climates, 

 soils and situations. Thus, it is grown with 

 profit in every pear-growing region in America 

 and in all in greater quantities than any other 

 sort. Another character which commends this 



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