Historic, Archive Document

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It’s Growth and Origin

(Actual Photograph)

Pineapple Pear Nursery
and

Orchard Company

523 Forsyth Bldg. Atlanta, Ga.

REPRINT FROM SOUTHERN CUL'

THE INVESTIGATION WORK WITH
PEARS AT THE GEORGIA
EXPERIMENT STATION.

Pear culture in the South received a great impetus
following the early Seventies of the last century.
This was due to the introduction of the LeConte va-
riety which, at the time, was thought to be resistant
to the pear blight. Commercial pear orchards sprang
up as rapidly as propagating stock could be secured
so that many hundreds of acres were planted. These
plantings centered in Southwest Georgia in the vi-
cinity of Thomasville, and for a time the outlook was
very encouraging. As these orchards reached ma-
turity, however, they were ravaged by fire blight to
such an extent that they were practically annihi-
lated. Many orchards were promptly abandoned
from the commercial standpoint and turned out to
sod. This sod and lack of culture, by reducing the
plant food, enabled the surviving trees to struggle
along, producing more or less inferior crops. Up to
the present time the remnants of these once great
orchards can still be seen as reminders of what the
pear industry could be were there a variety resistant
to fire blight.

In the early spring of 1912 a series of experiments
was started at the Georgia Experiment Station to
test the relative resistance to blight, as well as their
general habits of growth, of several of the better
known varieties of pears. New varieties were added
from time to time, to replace those dead from blight.
The following notes represent the status of this
planting as recorded in 1922. From four to six trees
each wei'e planted to the following varieties: B. de
Anjou (on quince), Kieffer (on quince), Garber, Le
Conte, LaFrance, Japanese Golden Russett, Tyson,
Lincoln, Wilder, Lawrence, Koonce, B. de Anjou,
Pineapple, How^ell, Flemish Beauty Buerre Diel,
Bartlett, Seckel, Keiffer, Rasney, Sheldon,

Up to September, 1919, the field records of these
varieties showed that all the varieties excepting the
Garber, Tyson, Koonce, Seckel, Kieffer, and Pineap-
ple pear were practically ruined by blight. At that
time the Garber, Tyson, Koonce, and Seckel showed
more resistance than the Kieffer. The 1922 field rec-
ords show that all these varieties excepting the Pine-
apple pear, have succumbed to blight to such an ex-
tent as to eliminate them from commercial plantings.
A number of introductions, received from the Office
of Foreign Seed and Plant Introductions, of the U.
S. Department of Agriculture, have been added to
the collection since the original planting. These are
yet too young to afford anything like conclusive re-
sults; even though some are showing considerable
resistance.

The Pineapple Pear.

From the standpoint of the experimenter, this pear
has been the most interesnng of any in the collection.
The Georgia Experiment Station received the cions
of this pear and made grafts in 1910. The cions
were taken from a very large tree growing on the
plantation of Mrs. B. N. Stuckey, near Nesmith, S. C.
This tree measures slightly more than nine feet in
circumference one foot above the ground, and has a
record of producing more than fifty bushels of fruit
in a single season, ^ts chief and most interesting
characteristic, however, is that it is highly resistant,
almost to the extent of immunity, to pear blight.

The trees, as grown at the Georgia Experiment
..^tetion, have been subjected to the most rigid trials
^"^"^^^icpmnbing to fire blight. In addition to being

YATOR OF DECEMBER 19, 19XX

grown in a general variety collection where a large
percentage of the trees were annually dying from
blight, a number of the trees were inoculated with
laboratory cultures, no appreciable injury was ever
observed. Even where the inoculation would take the
organism did not spread enough to do the trees any
appreciable damage. The inoculated twig would die
back for a few inches, but the disease was not able
to spread to any other twig, and was soon overcome.
In fact the variety is so highly resistant that the or-
chardist may plant trees without fear of blight.
Ten-year-old trees now standing at the Georgia Ex-
periment Station show no signs of blight, even
though they have had every chance to become in-
fected.

History of the Pineapple Pear.

The exact history of this pear is unknown. How-
ever, its general botanical characteristics indicate
very clearly that it is a hybrid between Pyrus sero-
tina and Pyrus communis. Its exact parentage and
time of origin, however, will probably never be known.
Some have suggested that it is an immigrant from
China or Japan. Mr. Geo. D. Lowe, investigating
this subject, says, in part: “In the winter of 1888
Dr. C. C. Daniel, a prominent Liberty county, Geor-
gia, physician, drove up to the gate of John W. De-
Loach’s plantation some forty miles south of the Le-
Conte place, and now in Long county, Georgia. He
handed Mr. DeLoach a pear switch with the remark
that he had cut it from the finest pear tree he had
ever seen in his life down on the island (near Bruns-
wick, Ga.), advising Mr. DeLoach to set it imme-
diately. which he did. It was placed in a small or-
chard of blighting LeContes and Kieffers and grew
off rapidly as the pear always does in South Geor-
gia. It came into bearing the sixth year from the
switch and showed quality and productivity beyond
expectation.”

“It appears evident that the original pineapple
pear was given to a planter in South Carolina by a
relative who was an officer in Commodore Perry’s
fleet which visited China and Japan in the middle fif-
ties, and brought the rooted pear from China when
he returned. The tree now stands still vigorous and
in bearing, nine feet in circumference just above the
ground and with tremendous spread of limbs. In
its prime several yields of over one hundred bushels
were harvested and last year it bore some forty
bushels. Undoubtedly the tree on the Georgia is-
land came from a cutting sent by some South Caro-
lina relative of the owner. The South Carolina
specimen stands alone in its generation outside of
China, so far as close inquiry yet discloses.”

A few trees of this near, up to the present time
have been located in widely scattered places in South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama. Florida, and Missis-
sippi. However, no systematic effort has been made
to chart its distribution.

UsefuMess of the Pear.

This pear cannot be classed as a dessert variety.
In quality of fruit it would be classed along with the
LeConte and Garber. It is perceptibly better than
the Kieffer, though could not be considered along
with such varieties as the Seckle or Bartlett. It is
primarily a culinary pear and can hardly be sur-
passed for preserving, baking and canning purposes.
Canneries report that it brings a premium above the
Kieffer when canned and is in great demand by those
who consume canned pears.

H. P. Stucky.

Director: Georgia Experiment Station.

Care Should Be
T aken In Planting
So as to Give The
Trees Plenty Of
Space to Grow In.

On account of the long life
and vigorous growing quality
of the Pineapple Pear it is
recommended by leading
horticulturists that this pear
be planted not less than 40x40
feet which is twenty ' seven
(27) trees per acre. The pear
begins bearing the fourth year
and yields as high as eighteen
bushels per tree the seventh
(7) year

Pineapple Pear Nursery
and

Orchard Company

Atlanta, Georgia