North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

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

A 22:23 05.12.23 +0000, vous avez écrit :
>Is it time for another discussion of which pear cultivars are doing well or 
>at least surviving in zone 4? 3?  Cold hardiness and disease tolerance.  
>Here's a list I'm curious about:

Tanis, I grow quite a few varieties near Quebec, zone 4. 
The best up to now is Patten, a delicious sweet melting pear for fresh eating.
For juice, Golden Spice is excellent, with good acidity. For eating, some
years it is very good, other years, so-so.
Ure is very hardy, so-so quality, although this year it was quite good.
Harrow Delight, very good, a bit small size, marginal hardiness.

This year I have had a first crop of many varieties. I can give you
comments, but one year of fruiting is not much for making an opinion. But,
for sure, all of those have survived long enough in zone 4 to bear fruit...
Flemish Beauty - excellent quality, good hardiness
Beurré d'Amanlis - late, excellent quality
Bonne Louise (D'Avranches) - only produces tiny pears, probably summer is
not hot enough for the fruit to delelop.
Beurré Giffard - early, got only 1 pear, but amazingly delicious.
Luscious - late, excellent with acidity, small, good hardiness.
Seckel - very late, got only 1 small pear, fabulous.
Southworth - mid season, big, so-so flavour.

Claude