North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<dwoodard@becon.org>]

I have read that Bartletts in hot areas of California are self-fertile.
If so it would not be surprising that a warming climate in other areas 
induces self-fertility.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario



On Mon, 10 Oct 2016 00:56:47 -0500, "Jim Fruth" <jimfruth@charter.net> 
wrote:
> Despite the belief that pear trees are self sterile, I have observed
> evidence that they become self fertile after experiencing a period of
> producing no fruit/seed.  As I mentioned in an earlier email (several
> years ago), I know a fellow who had a single pear producing tree with
> no neighbors for miles around - and, consequently, no pear trees.
>    I had a single pear tree for twenty years that began blooming
> after twelve years but produced no fruit.  I haven't been able to 
> find
> another pear tree for many miles around.  When my tree became twenty
> years old it produced a few fruits.  The following year it produced
> nearly 2,000 fruits. Some might argue that there must have been a
> nearby pear tree that began blooming at the same time.  That might be
> a plausible argument if a small quantity of fruits were produced, but
> 2,000 fruits?  Yes it is hypothesis but the evidence suggests that
> pears can become self fertile after producing no fruits/seeds for 
> some
> years.