2 BULLETIN 1072, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The reason for the popularity of the Bartlett variety is readily 

 understood. A very heavy bearer of fruits of large size and of 

 very high dessert quality, it is the ruler of the fresh-pear markets 

 during the weeks in which it is in season. Where canned it has a 

 higher quality than any other pear and in regions where it can be 

 produced successfully is practically the onlj- variety that goes into 

 the commercial canned-fruit trade. In some districts it is also 

 dried very successfully, and a large demand has been created for 

 the dried product. 



With the constantly increasing production of Bartletts, however, 

 it has become apparent that some means of holding the fruit in cold 

 storage is vital to the industry in many producing sections. If the 

 total season for fresh consumption can be lengthened by several 

 weeks, a much larger quantity of fruit can be disposed of on the fresh- 

 fruit market. 



It is even more important that canners in certain sections be 

 able to hold the fruit in storage. In some sections Bartlett pears 

 and certain varieties of peaches reach canning condition at prac- 

 tically the same time. Since pears can be held more successfully 

 than peaches, it is of great advantage to put a portion of the 

 pears in cold storage and hold them until the peach-canning season 

 is over. It also reduces the overhead expense of the cannery to 

 prolong the canning season as much as possible. In former years 

 heavy losses have been suffered by some pear canners, owing to 

 fruit becoming overripe during the rush season. Much loss has 

 also occurred in fruit that has been in cold storage, due to improper 

 methods of handling. 



During the past two seasons investigations have been carried on 

 by the Bureau of Plant Industry to determine (1) the effect of the 

 time of picking on the keeping, eating, and canning quality of Bart- 

 lett pears, (2) the comparative keeping and carrying capacity of 

 fruit from different sections of the Pacific coast grown under widely 

 varying climatic conditions, and (3) the method of handling fruit 

 in cold storage which will give the longest keeping period and the 

 highest dessert quality in the fruit upon removal from cold storage. 

 Chemical and physiological studies have been made of fruit from 

 different sections gathered at different stages of maturity and held 

 under different conditions following picking. The results of some 

 of these studies have been presented in detail in an earlier publi- 

 cation. 2 It is the primary purpose of this bulletin to discuss the 

 results presented in that report, as they concern the practical grower 

 and handler of Bartlett pears, and also to include the results of some 

 additional investigations. 



2 Magness, J. R. Investigations in the ripening and storage of Bartlett pears. In 

 Jour. Agr. Research, v. 19, no. 10, p. 473-500, 8 fig. 1920. Literature cited, p. 499-500. 



