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[LONGDISTSHTR <longdistshtr@InfoAve.Net>]

Sorry Kevin,'twern't me mentioning pear rootstocks. Wish it were me.
The French pears do poorly in my region. Only have Seckel on Quince.
Orient on ? and  Warren on ?.  Altantic Queen died. Fancy Prarie died.
Both Seckel and Warren have terminal fire blight.  Only thing which can
survive in this micro-climate is Orient, which look good (like
Victoria's Secret models) but as the Bible says:" Their latter end is as
bitter as wormwood." Locals use these pears in preserves and in their
syrups can be eaten (similiar to planked carp--throw the carp out and
eat the plank).  The syrup goes good on my squaw's hockey puck
flatjacks.
Chojuro,  Shinseki and Hosui will feed the resident raccoons enough so
that they leave my muscadines alone.
Raccoons love the local's pear preserves also. Maybe I can give them
diabetes and won't have to resort to the disgusting practice of sending
them home to Jesus with my trusty deucy-deucy rifle.
Good luck Kevin and sorry I can't help.
Doc Lisenby
In the muscadine belt (Zone 7/8)