ON THE PEAR 



glossy leaves, some of which for weeks after the 

 first frost show varied and brilliant colors almost 

 like the autumn foliage of oaks and maples of the 

 Northeast. Many of the best of these were dis- 

 tributed for planting as ornamental trees. 



Very early in the experiments I found among 

 many seedlings of a cross between the Bartlett 

 and the hybrid Le Gonte one that seemed to have 

 exceptional qualities. This proved to be aston- 

 ishingly productive of fruit of the largest size and 

 best quality, and the tree had extraordinary vigor 

 of growth and was apparently immune to the 

 blight. 



But only one was selected as showing good 

 promise as a fruit bearer. Through further hy- 

 bridization and selection, during a period of near- 

 ly a quarter of a century, the hybrid progeny of 

 this Japanese pear developed a variety that was 

 introduced in 1911 as the 'Test." 



Year after year it had produced two or three 

 times as much as any other pear that I had ever 

 grown. The fruit averages rather larger than that 

 of the Bartlett, and it appears about four weeks 

 later. The flesh is similar to that of the Le Conte 

 but superior to it in quality, although hardly 

 comparable to that of the Bartlett except when 

 cooked. 



Although I have raised and fruited number- 



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