El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-17
Pear Culture

! RN SELECTING a fruit for large com
! mereial planting. all unnecessary
! = risks from climatic conditions, dis
! ease and insect pest should be avoided.
believe the grape, # properly Sc
/ lected. comes nearer the ideal in sbis
! section than any other fruit. But there
viii be many places where soil and
I other conditions may be more favor
able to other fruits. Even II there are
years Of almost total failure from late
spring frOSts, much can be done to
minimize this injury during the danger
period CNarch Is to April 20, the bloom
ing season Of most of the pears and
[ peaches) by smudges or other methods
Of maintaining the temperature of the
/ orchard a few degrees higher than the
surrounding atmosphere.
However, as stated in a previous
paper. I do not believe 1t wise or
necessary to risk too much on these
fruits when there are fruits almost as
profitable, or more so. which meet
also, that by proper selection and
breeding, other fruits OF equal or bet
ter quality can be produced which will
Suited to This valley.
Among the other fruits that N my
opinion will always be profitable in
have produced here, particularly the
Bartlett, are the equal, if not the su-
perior, of any coming from any other
section OF the world Our trees are
has ever been reported, to my know
ledge: but this should not be taken to
insure that there never will be: our
climate does not favor this disease, but
may not be an absolute protection
against it Planters should be very
careful not 10 purchase from infected
districts. Neither should nurserymen
secure root stock buds or gratis from
such districts
The pear is one OF our oldest fruit
trees and undoubtedly was introduced
here by the mission fathers several
centuries ago Many trees itin grow
ing in the Rio Grande valley are very
old, perhaps more than 100 years. No
other fruit trees growing in the val
ley are as old, excepting, perhaps, a
few old apple groves in the upper val
ley in New Mexico, which are said to
be over 800 years old.
Oft the varieties OF the pear. none
seems to suit the general consumer so
wei as the Bartlett, and when IL is
In the market il always commands the
highest price
The pear viii thrive with a little
attention in soils that would be un-
satisfactory to other fruits. The trees
viii do wen In clay loans, and even in
adobe, If properly cultivated The tree
seems to alta IN its greatest growth and
heaviest bearing on the alluvial soils
of the valleys and near the banks Of
Z i
ish on soil somewhat alkaline. though
the limit Of endurance may often be
exceeded, and alkaline soils should not
be selected unless il be to fill a space
that otherwise would be left vacant
II there i smuch alkaH gypsum should
be used
The observations Of the University OF
Arizona experiment station on pear cul-
ture may be Of interest. 7 submit this
paper in full as il is made up from OBJ
servatiOns where conditions are very
nearly like ours Our conditions are a
little more favorable. excepting that
We have later spring frosts.
Easily Grown.
NO fruit is more easily grown in
Arizona than the pear The tree is
little affected by the heat Of the region.
and the blossoms are seldom injured
by frost; il is free from diseases or
Insect pests bears more regularly than
any other fruit, ripens good fruit
through longer season. and IS longer |
lived than any other When its value
as food, whether eaten raw, steWed or
baked, is fully appreciated. the trees I
viii be set more extensively, and the
fruit viii be used more freely. The fact
that the different varieties furnish good [
fresh fruit from early August to the !