Smyrna times., 1923-12-12
INTRODUCING THE PINEAPPLE
PEAR--A BLIGHT-PROOF PEAR
HORTICULTURISTS FEEL 1T MAY
DO WELL IN THIS CLIMATE
Because of Its Hardy, BEght-PrOOf
Qualities, 1t Is Predicted a Coming
Fruit in This and Nearby States

Qualities, 1t Is Predict a Coming
Fruit in This and Nearby States
Pear growing in Delaware was at
one time very promising because of
the large crops and the small cost of
production. The trees were healthy
and produced pears of large size and |
good quality, but the insects and |
blight have caused the pear industry
to almost fade into the past. The |
blight has caused the greatest loss |
to pear production because it is Just |
about impossible to raise a tree to
the age of bearing. At the Georgia |
Experiment station they are propagat |
ing a pear that has resisted blight up
to ten years of age. This pear, the
Pineapple Pear is planted in rows
with twenty-seven other varities
and is the only one which has not
blighted up to the bearing age.
The Pineapple Pear which is hy-
brid Of the Chinese sand pear and the
common pear seems to be on the road
toward revolutionizing the pear in
dustry. Other pears of this origin
are the Kiefer, CARRIER and LecOute,
but these have seen their day because
of the blight. The first tree of this
variety was discovered on a farm in
South Carolina. 1t is about nine feet
in circumference and has born as high
as so bushels of fruit in a season and
never known to blight.
to the Georgia experiment station and
propagated in the same plots along
with the other twenty-seven varities.
The young trees were planted in rows
with other varities which have long
since died but this tree has reached
the bearing age and never blighted.
The young shoots of the Pineapple
pear has been inoculated with the
blight organism which killed them
back for a short distance but did not
spread to other branches and it did
not remain long in the shoot inoculat-
ed
AS all evidences showed that this
fruit had high qualities, of special
merit, it was thought wise to give it
name. The Georgia Horticultural
Society were struck by the distinctly
pineapple aroma and thereby called it
the pineapple Pear"
The most concrete way of discrib
ing the Pineapple Pear is by compar
ing it with we'll known varities such
as the Lecaute, Kiefer and CARRIER.
For canning and preserving, the Pine
apple pear is to be preferred to the
Kiefer and Lecaute in the order nam
ed. In size and beauty the Pineapple
is not to be surpassed; individual
specimans often weigh as much as 20
ounces.
The Pineapple is the most vigorous
grower of any of the trees tried out
at the Georgia Station.
Trees ten years old have shoots of
from to 6 feet long from the last
seasons growth. They are distinctly
upright when young but develop a
spreading habit later. The leaves are
of the deepest green and are per
sistent on the trees until after the
last frost. The trees bloom two tC
three weeks earlier than the other
pears and ripen in July in the South
In the North and West, it ripens later
: The fruit is uniformly golden vel
low; spotted with numerous cOnspic
uous brown specks; the aroma is re
markable, resembling that of the pine
apple; it is sweet juicy and of gOo'
flavor. The flesh is uniform in color
: texture and degree of ripeness, whicl
renders it satisfactory for canning
1t is firm and not easily bruised
which is of advantage in shipping.
The keeping quality has not bee
sufficiently tested to give out definit
information but believe it to be equa
to the Kiefer. 1t is not a fruit fo
the fruit stand. Its outstanding us
is as a canned, picked or preserve
fruit.
1t is estimated that this pear Wi
rectify and establish the pear in ii
Southern States. One thousand acr
have already been planted. 1t seen
that this pear might be we'll wor
trying in the Middle Atlantic Stat
30 as the climate and soil conditions a
he suitable for it's productivity.