Bartlett trees are very vigorous, precocious, and easily managed. They are tolerant of varied growing conditions, and they are an excellent choice for a grower who wants an easy, fast pear. Bartlett is partially self-fertile, but it will produce a better crop in the presence of a pollenizer. The only difficulty in Bartlett cultivation is its susceptibility to fireblight, scab, and pseudomonas. It is also particularly attractive to pear psylla. Bartlett is not compatible with quince rootstock and it should not be used as a pollination partner with Seckel.

This hierloom pear was discovered as a wildling by English schoolmaster John Stair, who cultivated it in Berkshire, England. By 1799 it had reached America, where it was grown in Roxbury, Massechussetts under the name Williams' bon Crétien, but in 1817 Enoch Bartlett of Dorchester, MA acquired the Brewer estate and produced the pear under his own name, "Bartlett." In England and France, however, the pear is still known as the Williams Pear. Under any name, this has become the most popular pear in Europe and America, and it accounts for about 50% of all US pear production today.

The fruit of the Bartlett is classically pyriform (pear shaped), wide at the base with a narrow neck, with a finely speckled thin green skin that ripens fully to a clear yellow. The flesh is fine grained and very juicy, and the flavor is sweet and aromatic. The fruit is harvested around August 20th in upstate NY, and it should be harvested when still green (ideally pressure tested for ripeness) and allowed to finish ripening to yellow off the tree. Bartlett stores well, will hold its form when baked, and is an excellent fresh eating pear.