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 Pyrus betulifolia  (standard) and Quince (dwarfing) for 2008 (On Bartlett seedling and Provence Quince for 2009)

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.      For 2008 on OHxF 333 and   Pyrus betulifolia     (On OHXF 333, Provence Quince and Pyrus betulifolia for 2009)

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 Quince for 2008      (On OHXF 333, OHxF 87, Provence Quince and Bartlett seedling for 2009)

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 OHxF 87 for 2008      (On OHXF 333 and Bartlett seedling for 2009)

BON ROUGE  Red sport of Bartlett;  originated in France.  On Pyrus betulifolia  (standard) for 2008    (On Bartlett Seedling for 2009)

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 2008 or 2009

FLEMISH BEAUTY.  Antique introduced about 1810 by van Mons.  Most  winter-hardy pear in our list -- hardy to -40F.  Excellent dessert quality--aromatic, well-balanced, rich flavor.  Large, round fruit, sometimes pear-shaped.   Blight susceptible.  Precocious and productive.  Early ripening.       On Quince for 2008      (On Provence Quince and Pyrus betulifolia for 2009)
 

GENERAL LeCLERC  Recent French introduction.  Very good flavor.  Large fruit.  Blight susceptible.   Not budded for 2008 or 2009

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 2008 or 2009

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.  Old Home x Early Sweet.   On OHxF 87 for 2008      (On  Bartlett seedling for 2009)

HARVEST QUEEN  This Harrow introduction is similar to Bartlett; 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.          On OHxF 87 and Quince for 2008      (On   OHxF 87 for 2009)

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 2008 or 2009

KALLE (RED CLAPP'S FAVORITE)  Skin is dark reddish-purple, developing weeks before fruit is mature.  Kalle harvest is about 2 weeks before Bartlett.  Tree is semi-compact. Blight susceptible.        On Quince for 2008 (Not budded for 2009)

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.  Kieffer makes an outstanding canned product-- better than Bartlett because it retains its firmness.  Precocious and productive.       SOLD OUT FOR 2008  (Not budded for 2009)

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 2008      (On  Bartlett seedling for 2009)

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.    On Pyrus betulifolia  (standard) and Quince for 2008    (On Bartlett seedling for 2009)
 

MADAME BOUTANT  This old French pear is large, highly flavored, productive.  Ripens about 10 days after Bartlett.       Budded on OHxF 333 for 2008      (On  Bartlett seedling for 2009)

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.     Not budded for 2008 or 2009

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.     On Quince for 2008       (On Bartlett seedling for 2009)

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.  On OHxF 333 for 2008  (Not budded for 2009)

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.   On Pyrus betulifolia  (standard) fand OHxF 333 for 2008     (On OHXF 333 and Bartlett seedling for 2009)

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.   Not budded for 2009

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 2009

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.   On Pyrus betulifolia  (standard) for 2008  (On OHxF 87 and Bartlett seedling for 2009)

SHELDON    Medium-large, green fruit, usually symetrical;  ripens to light gold.  Spicy, sweet flavor; juicy.  Good keeper.  October ripening.     Not budded for 2008 or 2009

SUMMERCRISP    Medium-large fruit ripening in mid-August.  Very winter-hardy; chance seedling found in Minnesota in 1933. Probably Pyrus communis X P. ussuriensis cross.   Sweet, crisp flesh, almost like an Asian pear;  very low acid.  Annually productive;  tolerant to fire blight.     On Pyrus betulifolia  (standard) for 2008  (Not budded for 2009)

WARREN.  A high quality pear from the Deep South, hardy enough to survive in the North.  Introduced by T. O. Warren in 1976.  Fruit medium-large, pale yellow; high dessert quality; sweet and very juicy, close to Comice quality.  Tolerant to fire blight and foliar diseases.  Possibly self-fruitful.  Much better keeper than Bartlett. Not budded for 2008 or 2009