6 BULLETIN 1012, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The fruit from some other sections becomes soft ripe much more 

 quickly, even when picked in what is apparently the same stage 

 of maturity and held at the same temperature following picking. 

 This latter type of fruit is usually rather coarse in texture, softer 

 when ripe than the slower ripening pears, and has a marked tend- 

 ency to become overripe and discolored about the core region while 

 the outside of the fruit appears to be entirely sound. Such fruit 

 from many sections has been found to ripen in so short a time after 

 picking that successful shipments of the fresh pears to eastern mar- 

 kets is impossible. In certain districts canners, unfamiliar with the 

 tendency of the fruit to become overripe at the core before showing 

 external signs of deterioration, have suffered heavy losses by allow- 

 ing the pears to remain too long before canning. 



Canners and pear shippers are fully aware of the wide variation 

 that occurs in the carrying qualities of the pears from different sec- 

 tions, at least in so far as these variations occur in their local terri- 

 tory. It is believed, therefore, that a discussion of the ripening 

 of the fruit as it occurs in the different districts will be of advan- 

 tage not only to the industry as a whole, but also to all the indi- 

 vidual districts. For although fruit from certain districts will 

 ripen more evenly and hold up longer following removal from the 

 tree than that from other sections, there is no place on the Pacific 

 coast where Bartlett pears are grown commercially that they can 

 not be handled successfully, at least for canning or drying, pro- 

 vided proper precautions are taken. 



It has been found that Bartlett pears from the Sierra Nevada 

 foothill region east of Sacramento have uniformly excellent carry- 

 ing and keeping qualities. The same may be said for pears from 

 most of the districts in southern California, particularly the Tehach- 

 api and Antelope Valley plantings. Fruit from the upper Sad • 

 ramento Valley is very high in carrying quality. In the very larg 

 Bartlett pear section, lying along the reclaimed lower Sacrament( 

 Eiver, the fruit is also of high carrying quality, although somd 

 trouble is encountered with pears from the lower part of this section 

 nearest the coast. 



In the Santa Clara Valley the fruit is much poorer in keeping 

 and carrying quality, and fresh shipments from this district have 

 been largely discontinued because of the difficulty in getting the 

 pears through to market in good condition and the excellent cannery 

 market available. 



The Bartlett pears grown in the counties bordering on the coast 

 in California are uniformly poor in carrying quality. They become 

 soft ripe quickly after removal from the tree and have a marked 

 tendency to soften and become overripe at the core while still ap- 

 parently firm on the outside. 



