European pears @ Cummins Nursery

ANJOU (Buerre d'Anjou) High quality winter pear from 19th century France. More tolerant of fire blight and low temperatures than Bartlett. Precocious and Productive. Large green fruit ripens to greenish yellow in storage. On OHxF 333 and OHxF 97 for 2010 On OHxF 333 and Quince for 2011

AURORA Exceptionally high quality -- maybe the world's best. This is a dessert pear that has large, regular fruit. Skin is bright yellow, lightly overlaid with a beautiful russet, frequently blushed. Keeps well in storage until December. Flesh is smooth, melting, and juicy, with a sweet aromatic flavor. The tree is vigorous and spreading. The only problem with Aurora is its susceptiblity to fireblight. From the Marguerite Marillard x Bartlett cross; introduced by the Geneva station in 1960.

BARTLETT This is the best known pear in the world, most often under synonyms 'Williams' and 'Williams Bon Chreitien'. Discovered about 1770 in England. The fruit has a very good, distinctive flavor and a smooth, juicy texture - excellent for canning or for marketing fresh. Its skin is yellow and the fruit is medium to large, pyriform in shape. It is susceptible to fireblight and is self-unfruitful, so keep these facts in mind when planning your orchard layout. On OHxF 97 for 2010

RED BARTLETT, ROSIRED BARTLETT, BON ROUGE and SENSATION -- red sports of Bartlett. Fruit is identical except for skin color. All are less vigorous than Bartlett. (SEE BON ROUGE, below)

BLAKE'S PRIDE The latest introduction from the USDA pear breeding program, Blake's Pride is blight-resistant. On Provence Quince for 2011

BOSC This is an old variety that ripens late, a month after Bartlett. The fruit is large with an attractive russet over a dark yellow background. The flesh is white-tinged yellow, slightly granular, melting, tender, very juicy, and aromatic. Very high quality. Tree is upright, hardy and productive; blight-susceptible. On OHxF 97 for 2010 On OHxF 333 and OHxF 87 for 2011

CHATEAU ROYALE Medium-small, lightly russeted fruit. Coarse, sweet flesh.

DAVE'S DELIGHT Released in 1990 from the Agriculture Canada breeding program in Nova Scotia. Beierschmidt x Bartlett selection made by Dr. Dave Crowe. Fine eating quality, equal to or better than Bartlett; aromatic. Yellow skin, washed with bright red. Early maturing. Good resistance to core breakdown. Moderately precocious and productive. Not budded for 2010

DAWN A very good quality dessert pear, ripening about 10 days after Bartlett. Fruit slightly smaller than Bartlett; aromatic, spicy and juicy; almost free of grit cells. Introduced by USDA breeders in 1960 from the Michigan 437 (Barseck x Bartlett) x Comice cross. Fire blight susceptibility similar to Bartlett. SOLD OUT FOR 2010

EARLY MORETTINI (Butirra Precoce Morettina) Cascia X Bartlett, from an Italian breeding program; introduced in 1956. Fruit large, greenish yellow with red blush; juicy and sweet. Ripens about 2-1/2 weeks before Bartlett. Can be picked and marketed without storage and ripening period. Blight susceptible. Productive.

FLEMISH BEAUTY. Antique introduced in Belgium about 1810 by van Mons. Most winter-hardy pear in our list -- hardy to -40F. Excellent dessert quality--aromatic, well-balanced, rich flavor. Large, roundish fruit, sometimes pear-shaped. Blight susceptible. Precocious and productive. Early ripening. Blight susceptible. On OHxF 333 and Provence Quince for 2011

GENERAL LeCLERC Recent French introduction. Very good flavor. Large fruit. Blight susceptible. Not budded for 2010

GORHAM A Bartlett-type that matures 10 to 12 days later. Much better keeper than Bartlett. Bright yellow skin with slight russet around stem. Somewhat more tolerant of fireblight than Bartlett. Bartlett x Josephine Malines. Not budded for 2010

HARROW DELIGHT From the Agriculture Canada station at Harrow, this is a high-quality, early, fresh market pear with excellent blight resistance. Also resistant to pear scab. Harvest about 10 days before Bartlett. Fruit is medium size and similar to Bartlett in appearance with excellent flavor and smooth flesh. Ground color is yellow with a red blush. Early bearing. SOLD OUT FOR 2010 On OHxF 333 and OHxF 87 for2011

HARROW SWEET (HW-609) Blight-resistant release from Agriculture Canada. Ripens about 3-1/2 weeks after Bartlett; good storage till nearly Christmas. Excellent flavor; sweet and juicy. Precocious and productive; usually requires heavy thinning. Not budded for 2010.

HARVEST QUEEN Fruit of this Harrow introduction is similar to Bartlett but slightly smaller; the flavor and flesh are almost identical but even fewer grit cells than Bartlett. It ripens 5 or 6 days earlier. Productive. If you have a good market for Bartlett, Harvest Queen could be very valuable. Earlier and MUCH more blight resistant. Michigan 572 x Bartlett. Cross-compatible with most varieties, but not with Bartlett. SOLD OUT FOR 2010 On Quince for 2011

HIGHLAND. This recent introduction from the Geneva pear breeding program is unusually high quality. Bartlett x Comice. Fruit large, bright yellow with heavy russet overlay. Excellent storage capability. Ripens about 3 weeks after Bartlett. Blight susceptible.

HOOD A low-chilling, fireblight-resistant pear that can be grown where warm climate precludes culture of higher quality varieties. This Asian x European interspecific hybrid has been grown successfully in Florida and Southern California. Fruit large; mild flavor; susceptible to core breakdown if stored. Fire blight-resistant. Not budded for 2010

KALLE (RED CLAPP'S FAVORITE) Skin is large, dark reddish-purple, developing weeks before fruit is mature. Short shelf life. Kalle harvest is about 2 weeks before Bartlett. Tree is semi-compact. Blight susceptible.

KIEFFER Back a hundred years ago, my great-granddad planted 20 acres of Kieffers in Southern Illinois. Because it is so blight resistant, it has been grown more in the Southern states than any other variety. Kieffer comes from a cross between the Asian sand pear and Bartlett, introduced by Peter Kieffer in 1863. Kieffer is NOT a dessert pear, to be peeled and eaten out-of-hand. Yellow skin with prominent rusty lenticels. Lots of grit cells round core. Harvest about a month later than Bartlett. Kieffer makes an outstanding canned product-- better than Bartlett because it retains its firmness. Precocious and productive. Not budded for 2010

LUSCIOUS Adapted to much of the northern Great Plains; introduced in 1973 by the South Dakota AES from the SD E31 x Ewart cross. Medium size fruit; rich yellow skin; flavor similar to Bartlett. Ripens 2 weeks after Bartlett. Not budded for 2010

MAGNESS This pear was released by the USDA in 1968 as a very high quality dessert pear that will survive under heavy fireblight pressure. Sometimes tardy to start bearing, but the fruit quality makes up for the light early cropping (branch-spreading will significantly help). Mature trees are productive if good pollination is provided. Magness ripens a week after Bartlett. Excellent keeper. Seckel x Comice. SOLD OUT FOR 2010 On Pyrus betulifolia for 2011

MADAME BOUTANT This old French pear is large, highly flavored, productive. Ripens about 10 days after Bartlett. SOLD OUT FOR 2010

MAXINE A fire blight-resistant Bartlett-type. Very good quality; firm, crisp, juicy; snow-white flesh with no grit cells. Precocious and productive. Found in Ohio and introduced in 1845. On OHxF 333 and Provence Quince for 2011

MOONGLOW Excellent flavor; smooth flesh with almost no grit cells. Ripens about a week before Bartlett. Medium-large. Good keeper; storage of 6 to 8 weeks required to develop full flavor. Precocious and productive. Very resistant to fire blight. Introduced by USDA in 1960 from the Mich. 436 x Roi Charles de Wurtemburg cross. SOLD OUT FOR 2010 On OHxF 333 and Provence Quince for 2011

PATTEN Introduced by Iowa State in 1922; from the cross Orel 15 x Anjou. Very winter hardy, much more so than Bartlett. Excellent dessert quality if picked week before ripe and ripened off the tree. Large, juicy fruit. SOLD OUT for 2010

POTOMAC This pear was released by USDA in 1993; from the Moonglow X Anjou cross. The highest quality fireblight resistant variety available. The skin is light green and glossy and the flesh is moderately fine with a flavor similar to Anjou. Ripens two weeks after Bartlett; keeps 8-10 weeks in refrigerated storage. SOLD OUT FOR 2010 On OHxF 333 and OHxF 87 for 2011

REGAL RED COMICE A red sport of Comice, with the same high quality as its parent -- the flavor standard. Excellent storage pear. Considerable fireblight tolerance. Foliage quite dark green. Quince compatible. Not budded for 2010

REIMER RED. From a cross of Comice x Max Red Bartlett, made by Frank Reimer of Oregon State. Introduced in 1961. Large fruit. Late maturing, 3 weeks after Bartlett; high quality. Red blush over most of surface. Not budded for 2010

RESCUE. Large to very large fruit, usally pyriform and symmetrical. Often orange-red blush on yellow ground color. Smooth, juicy flesh; mild flavo similar to Clapp's. Matures a week after Bartlett. Annual production. Cross-compatible with Bartlett; blooms 3 days after Bartlett.

ROGUE RED. Very high quality Oregon State introduction. Comice x (Seckel x Farmingdale Sdlg. 122); introduced in 1969. Late ripening; very good winter keeper. Red skin. Tree unusually upright; annual bearing; moderately productive. Pollinated by Bosc, Bartlett and Comice. Good tolerance to blight and pear scab. Quince compatible. SOLD OUT FOR 2010 On Provence Quince for 2011

ROSEMARIE New from South Africa. Ripening a few days before Bartlett, Rosemarie has excellent flavor; slightly smaller than Bartlett.