North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Mauch1@aol.com]

Charles,

>1] Is this pear a product of southern hot or northern cold >China?
>2] Does anyone know for sure what variety this pear is?   If >not, how about 
>a guess?
I wouldn't say for sure, but I would guess the variety is 
"Ya Li" a pyriform Asian Pear from China.  I don't know whether
it is from "hot" or "cold" China, but I do know that this 
variety along with it's Chinese usually recommended pollinator
"Tsu Li(Tse Li)", it is generally not the highest recommended
Asian Pear as it has a lower chilling requirement and so
often gets its earlier bloom frosted (It is a rather late 
pear however)

>3] Are Asian pears grown as far north as Massachusetts?  Do >you feel they 
>are less/as much
>as/more worth growing than european type pears?
I can't say for Mass.  They do fine for me in my zone 6 climate
here in PA.  It also depends on what you like.  And Asians tend
to be very expensive still in the markets.

>4]  Would Asian pears of this type need intensive pest help >like apples or 
>would Asian pears of
>this type be as resistant to pests as some of the european >type pears we 
>grow here?
I'd say they're closer to Euro pears.  I've had some problem 
w/ coddling moth, though they supposedly like apple better, 
and many (but not all) are supposedly susceptible to 
fireblight (as are many Euro pears).


Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6
40° 5' N    75° 51'W
~650 ft elevation

>Here in zone 5 Massachusetts I stopped at the Chinese grocery >to buy tea 
>and soybean sprouts,
>and picked up a fresh yellow pear grown in China named a "Ya >Pear" [so the 
>sticker on the pear
>said.]  I understand this is an Asian Pear [although it has a >pyriform 
>shape elongated shape
>somewhat like a european pear.]

>A few questions for those of us unfamiliar with the Asian >pears:

>1] Is this pear a product of southern hot or northern cold >China?

>2] Does anyone know for sure what variety this pear is?   If >not, how about 
>a guess?

>3] Are Asian pears grown as far north as Massachusetts?  Do >you feel they 
>are less/as much
as/more worth growing than european type pears?

4]  Would Asian pears of this type need intensive pest help like apples or 
would Asian pears of
this type be as resistant to pests as some of the european type pears we grow 
here?

Thanks in advance to whoever for attempting to answer.

Charlie Paradise