North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Claude Jolicoeur <cjoli@gmc.ulaval.ca>]

Del,
Here in Quebec, which is CDN zone 4 and probably also equivalent to USDA
zone 4, I grow quite a few of the pears you list.
1-those that died and do not appear hardy : Clapp, Anjou, Giffard.
2-those that live and appear hardy but haven't produced any fruit yet :
Flemish Beauty, Bonne Louise, Cabot, Clara Frijs, Luscious, Miney, Olia,
North Brite, Roppo, Savignac, Shinko, So Sweet, Southworth, Summercrisp.
3-those that produce fruit : Golden Spice, Harrow Delight, Patten,
Ste-Sophie, Ure.
My preferred are Harrow Delight and Patten. H.Delight is early and doesn't
have much to envy to Bartlett except for fruit size. Patten is an excellent
firm late pear of good size. Ste-Sophie is a locally named pear of good
size and of fairly good quality some years but variable from year to year.
It is quite late. Ure, as Bernie said, is of ping pong size and shape and I
have harvested only a few. Unfortunately, I haven't been able yet to eat it
on the right day... As of Golden Spice, it is a beautiful tree, and a very
useful frame to topwork with most of the other varieties already mentioned.
But this year, surprize, for some reason the pears were of much better
quality than previous years and I even enjoyed eating some raw. The kids
also enjoyed them very much and brought them happily in their lunchbox. 
I have tried making a perry this year for the first time, with about 80%
Golden Spice and 20% Patten. It is too soon yet to report about it but I
expect it to be good... The golden Spice has about the same sharpness as an
sharp apple and the acidity-sugar balance of the juice mixture was quite good.
To this list, I may add a half dozen varieties of perry pears that appear
hardy, topgrafted in my Golden Spice tree. No comment yet on fruit quality.
I also cannot comment on fire blight since, for some reason, this problem
doesn't seem to exist in my orchard. I do not experience any pear scab
either. 
About some of the other varieties you list : Gourmet which I would really
like to try if only I could find a source for it. It is said to be hardy to
zone 4. Harrow Sweet is said to be hardy and of very good quality, but I
don't think it would be as hardy as H.Delight. Vermont Beauty is another
one I would like to find - very much like Forelle, late, hardy to zone 3
according to the book.
If you are patient, I intend to write a more substantial summary of my pear
growing experience during the Xmas holiday, to appear in some future issue
of Pomona. 
Claude Jolicoeur, Quebec.

A 13:16 01.12.17 +0000, vous avez écrit :
>Here is the list I made up from FBNI's info, would be interested in 
>comments, since their info is all from catalog's claims. I listed 41 pears, 
>some the zone is not mentioned , some had no mention of FB resistance. If 
>you wish to comment, I thought it might easiest to just add comments 
>adjacent to the fruit as listed.           s=suseptable  mr=moderatly 
>resistant   r=resistant  vr=very resistant      Thanks!
>
>Del Stubbs
>ag zone 2/3
>Pinewood Forge


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