DUFL&A 
A. H. Griesa Experimental Grounds 
"THE PINES" LAWRENCE, KANSAS, j 
The Douglas Pear 
The introduction of this new fruit will be on its merits, as the need 
of a good fruit at this season of the year for table use is very decided. 
The luscious peach is gone, grapes can be had only from distant markets; 
and a pear that can be grown so very bountifully in any place where 
any other pear will survive (and most of them fail in the west), will be 
welcomed by all. It is a seedling of the “Keiffer” crossed by the 
“ Duchess d’Angeleme.” It ripens just before the “Keiffer,” is nearly 
as large, of a beautiful yellow color, and fine in outline and shape. 
The flesh is fine grained, juicy, rich, with a delicious flavor; it does not 
seem to rot as it ripens and drop as the “Keiffer” does and hasn’t the 
hard gritty core, being good all through. It is named the “Douglas” 
because it originated in this county. The original tree first bore fruit 
in 1902, when it was shown at our County Horticultural Sociey, and 
received favorable notice. I have seen fruit on the tree every year 
since, except when the frost killed all fruit here. The old tree grew in 
the same row with others till a few years ago, in a thick seedling row, 
some of them crowding it; then I advised to cut out some near by, but 
this was delayed till, in midsummer after a rain, the owner cut out some, 
leaving the tree with its crop standing and exposed to the glaring sun. 
Its leaves turned yellow and stopped growth till fall with the fruit de- 
cidedly smaller; but the next year, it again grew and produced its crop 
as usual. Most pear trees would have blighted or died under such 
treatment. I never saw blight on the old tree nor any in nursery. 
The old tree is 14 or 15 years old now and has fruited every year since 
1902. The trees are good nursery trees, in growth about like the 
“Flemish Beauty.” They bud freely as does the “Keiffer,” but never 
have been affected with twig blight like the latter. The “Douglas” is 
an early and constant bearer. One year trees bloomed in nursery row, 
but that was the year of frost; the next year over half of the limbs had 
on blossom buds, but were cut off to transplant the trees; the next year 
some of them fruited in the orchard, and they still continue to bear. 
No other pear tree or apple tree is so fruitful. The fruit is nearly as 
