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Profitable Pears for Market. 



[Nov., 



PROFITABLE PEARS FOR MARKET. 



In successful pear-growing, great care is required in selection 

 of varieties suitable both for the locaUty and the class of trade 

 to be supplied. Mistakes in this direction are easily made from 

 failure to appreciate the difference between garden and planta- 

 tion conditions. The object of this article is to point out both 

 the good and bad points of the varieties commonly grown, and 

 to -assist the grower generally in choosing those most suitable 

 for the purpose he has in view. 



In many parts of the country where the climate is mild, 

 the growing of pears under plantation conditions, either as 

 fillers " or in blocks, is a paying investment. The area 

 devoted to this class of fruit is on the increase, but the 

 demand for good quality pears, especially from October to 

 December, is very great, and there is room for a considerable 

 increase in production. 



Factors influencing the Choice of Varieties. — (1) Marketing. 

 — The quality of different pears varies very considerably, but 

 the very high-quality kinds do not as a rule prove the most 

 profitable commercially, as they are generally shy croppers. It 

 is unfortunate that there are few varieties combining the cha- 

 racteristics of high quality and fruitfulness together with 

 hardiness, and in selecting varieties one is often obliged to 

 sacrifice quality in order to obtain a paying quantity. Roughly 

 the chief pear varieties may be divided into three classes: — 

 (a) Very high quality pears, shy in bearing and requiring 

 exceptionally favourable conditions. The culture of 

 these in this country is almost entirely confined to pri- 

 vate gardens, where quality is of prime importance and 

 monetary return a secondary consideration. A small 

 part of the trade is supplied from home sources and the 

 bulk comes from abroad. 

 {h) Medium quality kinds which crop well and thrive over 

 a fairly wide range of soil and climatic conditions. 

 These are the varieties chiefly grown for market in the 

 southern fruit districts, and are suitable for the general 

 retail trade. Taken as a whole, they usually bring very 

 fair returns. 



(c) Poor quality early pears, very hardy and usually heavy 

 cropping. These usually are sold for the cheap retail, 

 coster and seaside trades. On account of their earliness 

 and their heav}' crops they are often very profitable in 



