North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["V. Michael Bove, Jr." <vmb@teakettlefarm.com>]

It took nine years from planting, but we finally got pears from our  
Summer Blood Birne tree this year (actually, I got only a few and the  
raccoons got a lot; now that I have a better sense of when they're  
ripe the humans can better the odds in future).  Brief observations:  
They're not quite what I was expecting from the (limited) descriptions  
I've read -- the pears are Seckel-sized, and not blushed with red but  
rather violently spattered with it. Flesh is almost bubble-gum pink  
till it's fully soft and then it's a sort of liverish color. Texture  
is melting and taste rather good.

As they say in the music biz, "NCP" (no commercial potential), but  
like much NCP music quite nice to have around as an alternative to the  
usual stuff.

Michael Bove
Teakettle Farm, Z6 (MA/RI border)