The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-03-10
The kieffer Pear.

y. ]. HartZler of LAGRANGE County,
Ind, In a letter TO the Farmers Review
says:
will you kindly give your opinion
on the Kieffer pear, which is not
valued very much by most farmers?
While the tree is yourg the fruit Is
not so good, but as the tree gets older
the fruit gets better"
The Kieffer pear Is considered d
rather poor pear, but is extensively
produced. We cannot expect TO nave
all the good qualities in any partlcu-
lar variety. Generally II a variety
has a high quality it lacks something
else of great Importance. The kiener
pear is only a cooking pear. In no
sense can it be called a dessert pear
It's flavor Is generally lacking, one
thing against it also is its ough sklh'
which must be removed before the
pear can be enjoyed. The things IN
favor of the pear are, the productive
ness of the tree and its ability 10
withstand adverse conditions. In spite
Of it's lack Of flavor the Kieffer sells
quite we'll in the markets OF large
cities. We believe the quality OF the
Kieffer pear can be much improved
by thinning the pears and producing
larger and therefore better pears
Small Kieffer pears affected WIN
scab are a very poor fruit. Spraying
is often necessary to keep the scar
under control. We have said above
that the Kieffer tree Is very produc-
tive, this is with the understanding
that 1t Is grown in the same LOCALITY
with pears of other varieties that can
act as %pollenizers for the kieffer. On
many soils and in many localities the
Kieffer pear does not respond 10 is
own pollen; probably it needs more
than any other variety to be crossed
pollenated. 1t is therefore never wise
or safe to plant Kieffer pears in large
blocks. More than one such orchard
has remained unfruitful; its owner did
not understand the cause of 1t, and
the orchard has been finally cut down
When grown in the vicinity OF the
Garbar or other pear blooming at
about the same season the Kieffer
tree produces enormou crops.
CrOSS-f ertlIiZatlon OF ScTcdlS'
Within recent years new varieties
Of wheat have been produced by cross
fertilizing. Most of the varieties OF
wheat produced by Nature have been
produced by cross-fertilization acct
IDENTIFY obtained. 1t has aiken Nature
a long time to produce a few good
varieties. Our scientists who have
..t.z~ hold 80 tho n,ntfar hv nnllnni2
ing varieties with a pollen from other
strong varieties, have been able tc
outstrip Nature in the work of produc
ing good varieties. The evolution Of
the wheat plant Is thus taken out Of
the domain of chance and introduced
into the domain of science. Under the
old regime a good variety was more
likely to be polleniZed by a poor vnri
ETY. than otherwise, because poor vari
cites are more numerous than goot
varieties. Man, however, Is able Il
combine the good qualities OF the
strongest cereals and by selecting the
best of their progeny get immediate
results. There are to-day forty o.
fifty varieties of wheat that have beer
thus created. Such varieties have
longer heads, heavier grain and pro
duce larger yields per acre than thu
old varieties and are at the same time
better able to stand adverse condition
Within the next twenty-five years w
shall see the science Of wheat-growinl
develop greatly, with the result o
|, more fully using the land devoted t
, wheat growing. Hard wheats will b,
!, evolved for use on the semi-arid lands
, while softer wheats resistant to fun
gous diseases will be produced 70
humid localities.
r Beware of him who finds it peces
sarv "a hoast of his honesty.