Liability to loss by pest is also a great detriment to the popularity of the pear in America. Insect pests of pears are numerous and difficult to combat. Foliage and fruit are attacked by several parasitic fungi, requiring treatment wherever the pear is grown, which, even under very favourable conditions, often fails to give the fruits a fair cheek. A bacterial blight is so serious in effects and virulency as to give it the popular name, "fire blight." The disease is caused by a bacterium which cannot be checked by sprays and is combated only by the drastic remedy of cutting out branches and trees. Still another reason why the pear is not a popular dessert fruit in America is that, of all fruits, the varieties of this one are the most variable in the quality of the product. Sorts that should produce pears of the highest quality often bear fruits poor or indifferent in texture or flavour in unfavourable seasons or unsuitable soils. And, still again, the pear falls short as a commercial product because it is not easily handled so as to stand transportation or keeping in cold storage, conditions demanded in America.
The care given to growing pears in America is not more exacting than that given any other hardy fruit. The trees respond readily to cultivation, pruning and fertilization. These items of culture are much the same as for the apple, plum, cherry and peach. Once
well started, pear orchards perhaps endure more neglect than de orchards of any other tree fruit, if the climate and soil be suit able. Varieties of pears, possibly, have the charm of individuality more marked than varieties of their orchard associates. The fruits are more varied in size, shape, texture and flavour than others of the hardy tree fruits and in length of season exceed all others excepting the apple. For this reason, the pear is the fruit of fruits for connoisseurs, and a splendid collection can, with a little care, be grown in a comparatively small space from the hundred or more varieties to be had from nurseries. Cross pollination is an important factor in the successful culture of pears. Mixed plantings of at least two compatible varieties set in blocks of three to four rows wide are desirable.
The following are leading commercial varieties named in order of ripening: Tyson—hardy, vigorous, blight resistant, a midsummer variety for home use ; Clapp's Favorite,—best early pear, large, produc tive, attractive, blights very badly; Bartlett,—the leading com mercial variety; Seckel,—bears late, blight resistant, vigorous, choicely good but small; Beurre Bosc,—attractive, high in qual ity, blights badly ; Beurre d'Anjou,—greenish yellow, large, sym metrical, smooth, quality good; Winter Nelis,—late keeper, high quality, small and unattractive.