| There is convincing archeological evidence from | | | | sorting, and shipping problems, and the average |
| the excavation of the ancient lake dwellers in | | | | pear fruit buyer does not often preferentially buy |
| Switzerland that the European pear, Pyrus | | | | oversize pears. The Northwestern United States |
| communis L., was known by that civilization. It is | | | | produce the most commercial pears, generally |
| believed that the pear was known by prehistoric | | | | because of the exceptional dessert quality of the |
| man, but there is no agreement on whether the | | | | fruit. The oldest pear market sensation is Bartlett |
| apple came first or the pear. The ancient pear | | | | (Williams), that grows in a group called "Winter |
| tree of Europe was fundamentally different from | | | | Pears," including other varieties. Comice, D'Anjou, |
| the Asian pear tree, Prunus pyrifolia. | | | | Bosc, Red D'Anjou, and Concorde pears. These |
| English records show that in 1629 "stones of | | | | cultivars these cultivars have a very restricted |
| pears were sent by the Massachusetts Company | | | | area of successful growth, because of their fragile |
| to New England" colonists to plant and grow into | | | | European pear parentage, Pyrus communis, and |
| trees at Plymouth, MA. | | | | are not recommended for growing in most United |
| On March 30, 1763 the famous American, George | | | | States regions. |
| Mason, made an entry into his extensive orchard | | | | The pear tree is unique as a non-shriveling fruit |
| journal: "grafted 10 black pear of Worchester | | | | being easily recognizable from its normal |
| from Collo... these are a large course (coarse) fruit | | | | description referring to the shape of the fruit, |
| for baking" and old French pear variety. | | | | "pear shaped," a specific form that everyone |
| Fort Frederica at Saint Simons Island, Georgia, | | | | understands. Buyers of pear fruit are very biased |
| was established by the English colonists in 1733, at | | | | in purchasing a pear in the shape they are |
| the same time the city of Savannah was settled. | | | | accustomed to, and they will often reject the |
| In order to enable the settlers with self sustaining | | | | Asian pear, 'Pyrus pyrifolia, a round or apple |
| food reserves, a plan was developed by General | | | | shaped fruit. The texture of pears is unique |
| Oglethorpe to introduce trees and plants for | | | | among fruits along with aroma, taste and the idea |
| growing both in temperate and subtropical | | | | that pears (European clones) should be picked off |
| climates that would prove valuable for future | | | | the tree to ripen later; whereas, the Asian pears |
| farms and fruit and nut tree orchards in Georgia. | | | | are better left on the trees to ripen for full flavor |
| These objectives were reported according to | | | | development. |
| William Bartram in his book, Travels, that was | | | | The skin of pears grow in a broad array of |
| published in 1773, 40 years later. John Bartram, | | | | colors, green, yellow, orange, red, and mottled, |
| the father and travel companion of William | | | | and this makes a great protective shield from the |
| Bartram, made their research trip to East Florida, | | | | eyes of birds and other animals. Pear trees |
| Carolina, and Georgia partly to investigate | | | | require longer periods of maturity to begin fruiting |
| resources and plant inventories abandoned by | | | | than most other fruit trees, but the tree will bear |
| Spaniards to the English as colonial acquisitions. | | | | earlier if grafted on a dwarfing quince rootstock; |
| Prince nursery was established as the first | | | | however, most tree merchants offer semi-dwarf |
| American nursery for the collecting, growing, and | | | | trees for sale, and of course, larger trees begin |
| selling of plants and trees at Flushing, New York in | | | | fruiting earlier than small trees. Asian pear trees |
| 1737, Prince nursery advertised "42 pear trees | | | | produce fruit sooner than those trees with |
| for sale in 1771." | | | | European pear ancestry. One factor that has |
| John Bartram planted the seed of a pear tree in | | | | delayed the spread of pear trees since antiquity is |
| 1793, and this ancient tree grew and produced | | | | the fact that the seeds show poor germination |
| fruit until the year 1933. | | | | success unless they are moist and most travelers |
| The great American botanical hybridizer and | | | | on the ancient "Silk Road" trading routes dried the |
| writer of his epic and monumental 12 volume | | | | seed for selling or exchanging. |
| account of his observations on plant development | | | | Fruit buyers of America have shown a dramatic |
| over many years by Luther Burbank stated that | | | | and increased interest in purchasing fresh pears at |
| basically, there were two genetic lines of pears | | | | the grocery store in the past 25 years. The |
| that he and others had used to improve the | | | | USDA resources state that the per capita |
| commercial quality of pear trees and their fruiting. | | | | consumption of table quality, fresh pears has |
| The European pear, Pyrus communis L., the Asian | | | | increased more than most fruits, while the buying |
| pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, also called the Korean pear | | | | of fresh peaches has decreased. Fresh pears can |
| tree, the Japanese pear tree, the Chinese pear | | | | be kept at near freezing temperatures for as long |
| tree, and the Taiwanese pear tree. These were | | | | as 5 months for consumer buying later. For |
| intercrossed to obtain a recombination of genes | | | | backyard gardeners, pear trees can grow 20-30 |
| to sift out the complex character mixtures that | | | | feet on semi-dwarf rootstock and are well |
| would hopefully produce superior fruit. | | | | adapted for growing on most soils, even poorly |
| Bartram wrote in his 'Fruit Improvement' about a | | | | drained soils, preferentially on a pH range of 6 to |
| pear chance hybrid that appeared at a farm near | | | | 7. Pear trees will grow and tolerate temperatures |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a result of a European | | | | of negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| pear and the Chinese sand pear that had been | | | | Burbank performed many odd crosses with pear |
| planted on the farm as ornamental garden trees. | | | | trees. He crossed pears with apples and quince; |
| This hybrid occurred on the farm of Mr. Peter | | | | however, those hybrid trees did not grow to |
| Kieffer, thus bearing his name for the first | | | | produce acceptable fruit. |
| hybridized Oriental pear tree. The "Kieffer" pear | | | | Pear fruits contain antioxidants and no fat, with |
| has a pleasant aroma; it is a beautiful and graceful | | | | health benefits from Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, |
| tree with huge white flowers, but this pear is best | | | | Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, niacin, and the minerals |
| when cooked into preserves or pies because of | | | | Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, and Potassium. |
| its firmness. The cold hardiness and disease | | | | Many cultivars of Pears are recommended for |
| resistance make this pear a valuable cultivar that | | | | planting. Ayers Pear Tree, Baldwin Pear Tree, |
| remains a best selling pear tree even today. | | | | Columbus Red Pear Tree, Floridahome Pear Tree, |
| Other Oriental pear trees that entered the popular | | | | Hood Pear Tree, Kieffer Pear Tree, Leconte Pear |
| nursery mailorder catalogs were Le Conte, | | | | Tree, Moonglow Pear Tree, Orient Pear Tree, |
| Garber, and Smith pear trees. These pear trees | | | | Pineapple Pear Tree, Sand Pear Tree and the |
| became standard cultivars for Gulf State garden | | | | Warren Pear Tree. Four varieties of Asian Pears |
| plantings, where European pear trees do not grow | | | | are also planted: the Korean Giant Pear Tree, |
| well. | | | | Hosui Pear Tree, Shinseiki Pear Tree, Twentieth |
| Other strains of pears developed in California | | | | Century Pear Tree. |
| were described as huge in size, with delicate | | | | There are also four varieties of flowering, |
| colors, fragrance, and excellent quality. One of | | | | non-fruiting pears. The Bradford flowering pear |
| these hybrid pears measured nine inches high and | | | | tree, Cleveland flowering pear tree, Aristocrat |
| weighed five pounds--a single fruit. | | | | flowering pear tree, and Autumn Blaze flowering |
| Burbank pointed out that the commercial trade of | | | | pears. |
| pear frowns upon large pears because of boxing, | | | | |