November 17, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
481 
NEW INDUSTRY. 
BOTTLING PEAR?. 
-x- 
W HETHER or not I am justified in using the above heading 
will perhaps be considered a moot point. Any way, my 
ideas on the subject will be perfectly original, and if rather late 
in being published, have yet been “on my mind ” for many weeks 
past. Wbat I venture to term a new industry is simply bottling, 
not canning Pears. At several public dinners it has fallen to my lot 
to attend during the past few months I have noticed that stewed 
Pears figured largely among the “sweets,” and, what was equally 
apparent, they disappeared with remarkable celerity. They were 
fully appreciated by a great majority of the guests, and in all 
probability if double the quantity had been placed on the table 
there would have been very few left. As might reasonably be 
expected of one who is always on the alert for something fresh 
that is worth knowing, I took the first opportunity of con¬ 
gratulating the host upon the excellence of the stewed Pears, and 
was told “ under the rose ” that they were simply canned Pears. 
Those Pears actually came all the way from California, and were 
brought into a neighbourhood where large quantities of really 
good Pears were either spoilt or sold at very low prices during 
the season of 1891. The same thing has occurred, or is occurring, 
in various other fruit-growing districts, or at any rate where fruit 
could be well and extensively grown, and yet to all appearance 
our farmers and fruit growers are quite helpless in the matter. 
Nor do I think many of either class have sufficient enterprise to 
compete against their more go-ahead competitors over the sea. Yet 
something must be done So much tree planting has been carried 
out in various parts of the country that the time is not far distant 
when great gluts of fruit will occur, and it is anticipation of this 
that I would urge the necessity for taking active steps in experi¬ 
menting and preparing for future undertakings. 
That there is a great and increasing demand for canned Pears 
there is no disputing, and it is equally certain that preserving in 
that way is a very profitable industry. The best brands of 
Californian Pears are in square tins closely soldered down, and 
holding about 3 lbs. of fruit. These the Italian warehousemen and 
grocers have delivered to them in fairly large quantities at the 
rate of 15s. per dozen. The second quality, and which are only 
very slightly inferior to the best, are in 2j lb3. tins, and supplied 
wholesale at about 11s. per dozen. The latter are retailed at 
Is. 3d. each, more or less. On opening one lately I found it held 
about six Pear3 duly pared and cored, so that the consumer pays 
somewhat dearly for the luxury of having the fruit ready stewed. 
The syrup was rather thin and sweet, and of course added con¬ 
siderably to the weight. Evidently the fruit is sound, properly 
stewed and well secured in the tins. Only too evident also is the 
fact that the Americans have the advantage of us in climatal con¬ 
ditions, bad years being the exception to the rule, while the great 
shipping companies can afford, or do afford, to bring all such 
commodities into this country at very low rates. What we have, 
therefore, to do is to beat them with their own weapons, or rather 
improve on what they do, or are ever likely to do. In their case 
the Pears must be canned, and among our countrymen there are 
many who cannot be knowingly persuaded to eat anything that has 
been kept in cans or tins of any kind. With bottled fruit there 
is no risk of lead or any other poisoning, and it is in bottles that 
stewed Pears ought to be placed and sold. Bottles will certainly 
No. fi47. —Vol. XXV., Third Series. 
be less handy for packing, storing, transit, and such like, but 
their other advantages will tell heavily in their favour eventually. 
Whether they are cheaper than tins or not I am unable to say, but 
they are decidedly the best for use among fruit growers on a 
small scale, soldering down the lids of tins being an insuperable 
difficulty in many cases. Large-necked square bottles can be 
bought cheaply enough at Bristol and elsewhere, and it is those of 
a size capable of holding from 2 lbs. to 3 lbs. of fruit and syrup 
that should be used. 
Because there are Pears grown specially for stewing purposes 
—being fit for nothing else, in fact—it does not follow, as many 
seem to imagine, that ordinary dessert varieties are not equally 
well adapted for the purpose. If enormous crops of Williams’ 
Bon Chretien, Pitmaston Duchess, Beurre Capiaumont, Beurre 
Diel, Clapp’s Favourite, Durondeau, Brockworth Park, and 
numerous other varieties that could be mentioned, cannot be 
sold at remunerative rates either direct from the trees or after 
storing, there is nothing to prevent their being stewed and bottled. 
Nor need the fruit to be fully ripe ; but on the contrary matured, 
but not ripe, Pears are to be preferred for the purpose. Light¬ 
ening the crops might be commenced in time for the operation 
to be most beneficial to the trees, and consequently the fruit left 
on them would improve in size, while the thinnings could be 
bottled. Supposing it was intended to bottle the bulk of the 
fruit grown the work in many cases might commence with the 
thinnings, and continue as long as the fruit remained sound. 
Not being actually engaged in the industry of preserving fruit 
for the markets I am not prepared to fully describe the best 
process of bottling Pears. Nor is there much likelihood of those 
experienced in the matter coming forward to give novices the 
benefit of their experience. This is not greatly to be wondered at ; 
but what is to prevent anyone perfecting their own system, or, as 
before hinted, experimenting on a small scale now with a view to 
being prepared for future emergencies? My plan already put into 
operation is to select Pears of near one size as possible for each 
boiling, these being pared, halved or quartered if very large, and 
the core cut out. They are placed in a preserving pan, adding 
water at the rate of 1 quart and loaf sugar at the rate of 1^ lb. 
to every 16 lbs. of fruit, a few cloves and some allspice being also 
thrown in. They must not boil, but be kept on the simmer till the 
Pears become quite tender, this taking from two to four hours 
according to the variety and the ripening stage at which it may 
have arrived. The Pears are then allowed to cool somewhat and 
then very neatly packed in the bottles, the syrup being brought to 
the boil again and poured over the fruit so as to well cover it. 
Corking follows closely upon this, the corks being further made 
air-tight by means of oiled papers. It remains to be seen how 
long Pears thus treated will keep, and I have no doubt some of the 
readers of the Journal of Horticulture could, if they would, 
enlighten us more fully on the subject. 
Colouring matter would appear with many to be absolutely 
necessary in the case of stewed Pears ; but the Americans are 
evidently not of that opinion, and there are persons in this country 
who also object to its use. A few drops of cochineal will give 
the desired tinge of colour, and, I believe, without prejudice to 
the fruit; but there is no sense in using it, all the same. There 
is one variety that colours naturally, this being the good old Vicar 
of Winkfield. Planters seem to have quite overlooked the value 
of the Vicar. It forms a fairly good standard and a handsome 
pyramid, while against a cool wall the trees attain a great size. 
Very rarely are there failures to be recorded, and in addition to 
being one of the best stewing Pears in cultivation, it is often very 
acceptable for dessert purposes early in December. That, and 
also Beurre Diel, ought to be largely planted by those who 
intend to try what can be done in the way of bottling Pears for 
the market. It is my belief it is the last named that is largely 
sent over from California in tins.—W. Iggulden. 
No. 2303.— Vol. LXXXVII., Old Series. 
