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FRUIT > PEARS;
PEAR VARIETIES; NEW ZEALAND
Pear Varieties in
New
Zealand
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Edward Bunyard once
said
that a pear is a fruit that "must be approached with discretion and
reverence;
it withholds its secrets from the merely hungry, and is sometimes
fickle
and uncertain, concealing an inward decay by a fair and smiling cheek"
And that about sums
it
up. Often mediocre; sometimes a connoisseur treasure; difficult to get
the stage of ripeness exactly right. Great rewards and great
dissappointment.
But always stunning in full spring blossom!
Rootstocks - for those who
want
to graft their own trees
Pears can be grafted onto pear
seedling rootstocks, when they eventually get to 4 to 8 metres high,
depending
on growing conditions and the natural vigor of the variety. Seedling
rootstocks
can sucker badly, and the vigorous rootstock growth can be sharply
spiny.
Most pears for home gardens are grafted by the nursery onto quince,
which
keeps the tree to 3 or so meters high. Quince also suckers, but it is
easier
to deal to than seedling pear suckers.
Some varieties of pear are
incompatible
with quince, in which case a pear that is compatible has to be
grafted
on first, then the desired 'quince-incompatible' variety
grafted
on top of the 'quince-compatible' pear wood. This is called 'double
working'.
Grafting pears to quince is
relatively easy, and with a basic book from the library, most people
could
do it. It is often possible to use quince suckers as a rootstock to
graft
onto. Once rooted, let them grow until they are tick enough to graft,
then
away you go.If there are no other pear trees locally, you will need to
plant a pollenizing variety, or buy a tree double grafted with a
pollenizer.
Commonly available varieties
Bartlett-see William's
Bon Chretien
Buerre Bosc- totally
rough skinned and russetted brown, this variety is a classic pear shaped
fruit with a particularly long, and often curved, neck. It is very
sweet,
with very good flavor, juicy and creamy flesh when properly ripe
(gritty
when not), and is firm enough to hold together when used for cooking.
Ripens
well off the tree, and stores reasonably well. Ripe late
February/March,
just after Bartlett. A vigorous and productive tree. Pollenizer
William's
Bon Chretien. Usually fails on quince unless double worked with a
compatible
pear interstem.
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Beurre Clairgeau-A
large
smooth symmetrical pear, deep yellow brown skin with a pinkish-red
blush
at maturity. When conditions suit it, the flesh is tender, if slightly
granular, juicy, sweet, wth a rich flavor; more often it is coarse
fleshed,
mediocre, and easily goes soft in the middle.Bears heavily and
reliablyon
a vigorous upright tree. It ripens at the end of february. The
pollenizer
is Seckle.
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Buerre Hardy-A large
pear, almost totally covered by a light colored russet over dull yellow
green, fat with a long neck. When well grown it is melting, very juicy,
aromatic, sweet and slightly vinous. When not well grown it is a bit
grainy,
mediocre, and somewhat astringent. Bears moderately well, regular and
sturdy
tree. Ripens/in shops mid march
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Buerre Diel-Rusetted
lemon yellow brown, medium large, fat and dumpy, flesh crisp and also
very
grainy unless perfectly grown. In less than ideal conditions lightly
underripe
ones have an interesting and good flavor but you have got to get them
exactly
ripe-while firm, but yellowish ground color. If the conditions don't
suit
it, which is more often than not, it will be coarse and astringent. At
it's best, in suitable conditions, it is said to be delicious and
distinctive.
Ripe end of march, beginning of April
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Clapps-light sunny
yellow
green, 80mm deep by 65mm diameter, about 200gms, fat, roundish, almost
no neck. Tthey go sleepy in the middle rapidly and should be eaten
firm.
Available in shops early February.
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Concorde-a yellow
skinned
classically pear shaped variety. The flesh is sweet and meltng, with a
very good flavor (it is a cross between Comice and Conference).
Pollenizers
are Doyenne du Comice, Conference and Willian Bon Chretien. It ripens
mid
march onward. Plant Variety Right protected (may not be propagated).
Conference-Medium large
pear, rather long and thin, with green russeted almost smooth skin. The
sweet, juicy, melting flesh is rich and aromatic, and has a slight
pinkish
tinge when it is ripe. Conference is partly self fertile and a reliable
and profuse cropper.
Doyenne du Comice-a
large,
somewhat dumpy
pear, yellowish green often with a slight pinkish blush and thickish
skin.
Regarded as the finest flavored pear when well grown in conditions it
likes.
When well grown and properly ripened, it has extremely fine smooth
flesh,
and is oustandingly sweet as well as very juicy. When conditions don't
suit it and it is not well grown and picked at the right time, it is
grainy,
poor, and somewhat astringent. For best results, it should be
refrigerated
before it is taken out to ripen. The tree is upright and vigorous.
Tends
toward biennial bearing. Ready late february/march. Pollenizers are
Beurre
Bosc, William's Bon Chretien or Winter Nelis. Compatible with
quince.
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Louis bon de Jersey-
elongate medium size pear with
smooth
green skin heavily suffused bronzy-red. Pleasant, aromatic, very juicy
fruit with tender melting flesh, slightly granular at the core; a
reliable
producer on a fairly vigorous tree. The fruit keep well. Pollenizers
are
William's Bon Chretien, Winter Nelis and Conference.
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Packham's Triumph-distinctive
medium to large totally light yellow green pear, with a fat
neck. Looks like a lumpy Williams bon Chretien. Ready late
february/march.
Really needs a period of refrigeration to ripen properly. Pollenizers
are
William's Bon Chretien, Winter Nelis and Beurre Bosc. Compatible with
quince.
Seckle (Honey pear)-
A small,
reddish-brown skinned pear that is crisp fleshed, very sweet, juicy,
perfumed,
with very distinctive flavor. It can be confidently fully ripened on
the
tree without becoming soft and brown in the middle, although it is not
a good keeper once mature. The tree is vigorous and very productive and
reliable. It is also somewhat self fertile.
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
Stark Crimson-A red
skinned
mutation of Clapp's Favorite. Totally crimson-bright on one side, dark
the other, 85mm deep by 70mm dia , around 210gms, fat and dumpy,
somewhat
acutely pointed at the stem end. Thick stalk. The flesh is quite fine,
with relativey few fibres, and the flavor is unremarkable, inoffensive.
Slight acidity. Ripens well in the fruit bowl without core sleepiness.
Ripe/In the shops late January - early february. Pollenizers
are William's Bon Chretien, Winter Nelis and Conference.
Taylors Gold-similar
size shape
and eating qualities to Doyenne du Comice, but totally russeted browny
gold. Not suprising as it is said by the Apple and Pear marketing Board
to be a natural mutation of Comice, in spite of some claim it is a
cross
between Comice and Beurre Bosc.
Triumph de Vienna-A
large
green-brown rough skinned pear; the flesh is crisp and juicy, sweet,
slightly
acidic and flavorful. It has to be picked on the early side, before it
picks easily with ripeness, otherwise it invariably goes brown and soft
in the middle. very early, ripening at the beginning of february.
Winter Nelis-A small
pear, yellow green skin, lightly russet dotted, the flesh is firm but
fine
(a bit gritty near the core tho'), sweet, and juicy, with good rich
flavor;
useful for cooking and bottling as well as being a very good fresh
eating
pear. Late ripener. The fruit store well. Productive and reliable. The
tree is a bit straggly, sparse and spreading. Usually
fails on quince unless double worked with a compatible pear interstem.
Pollenizers Beurre Bosc and William's Bon Chretien.
William's Bon Chretien
(called
Bartlett in USA)-A large, greenish yellow fruit, smooth skin,
classic
if slightly dumpy pear shaped. The flesh is smooth and moderately
juicy.
The flavor is neutral but sweet. Ripeness is sometimes hard to
determine.
Often either sleepy or too crisp. Perhaps best picked when still
slightly
green and ripened off the tree to yellow, when it develops a lovely
musky
flavor. Fruit fall naturally in Febuary. It
will keep in refrigeration for about 3 months. There is also a red
form,
dull pink red skin, otherwise identical, although the tree is perhaps
not
quite as vigorous. Very good for bottling and cooking. The tree is
vigorous
and upright, and reliably productive. It's pollenizers include Beurre
Bosc,
Winter Nelis, Doyenne du Comice and Conference.
Color
plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick,
published
by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in
by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm
Repository
at Corvallis, Oregon
©
Copyright 2000 UHIS
This is a fairly brief
overview
of the varieties, but is all I have time for right now. I would be
pleased
if you would take the time to write up some notes or comments, no
matter
how brief, in an e-mail -or as a web page (.html) or notepad (.txt)
file
- for inclusion here. Don;t send word (.doc) files please! E-mail
me if you can help. Thanks.
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