EVOLUTIONARILY APPROPRIATE INGREDIENTS > GROWING YOUR OWN INGREDIENTS > GROWING FRUIT > PEARS; PEAR VARIETIES; NEW ZEALAND

Pear Varieties in New Zealand
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Edward Bunyard once said that a pear is a fruit that "must be approached with discretion and reverence; it withholds its secrets from the merely hungry, and is sometimes fickle and uncertain, concealing an inward decay by a fair and smiling cheek"
And that about sums it up. Often mediocre; sometimes a connoisseur treasure; difficult to get the stage of ripeness exactly right. Great rewards and great dissappointment. But always stunning in full spring blossom!
 
Rootstocks - for those who want to graft their own trees
Pears can be grafted onto pear seedling rootstocks, when they eventually get to 4 to 8 metres high, depending on growing conditions and the natural vigor of the variety. Seedling rootstocks can sucker badly, and the vigorous rootstock growth can be sharply spiny. Most pears for home gardens are grafted by the nursery onto quince, which keeps the tree to 3 or so meters high. Quince also suckers, but it is easier to deal to than seedling pear suckers.
 
Some varieties of pear are incompatible with quince, in which case a pear that is compatible has to be grafted on first, then the desired 'quince-incompatible' variety grafted on top of the 'quince-compatible' pear wood. This is called 'double working'.
 
Grafting pears to quince is relatively easy, and with a basic book from the library, most people could do it. It is often possible to use quince suckers as a rootstock to graft onto. Once rooted, let them grow until they are tick enough to graft, then away you go.If there are no other pear trees locally, you will need to plant a pollenizing variety, or buy a tree double grafted with a pollenizer.
 
Commonly available varieties
Bartlett-see William's Bon Chretien
 
Buerre Bosc- totally rough skinned and russetted brown, this variety is a classic pear shaped fruit with a particularly long, and often curved, neck. It is very sweet, with very good flavor, juicy and creamy flesh when properly ripe (gritty when not), and is firm enough to hold together when used for cooking. Ripens well off the tree, and stores reasonably well. Ripe late February/March, just after Bartlett. A vigorous and productive tree. Pollenizer William's Bon Chretien. Usually fails on quince unless double worked with a compatible pear interstem.
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Beurre Clairgeau-A large smooth symmetrical pear, deep yellow brown skin with a pinkish-red blush at maturity. When conditions suit it, the flesh is tender, if slightly granular, juicy, sweet, wth a rich flavor; more often it is coarse fleshed, mediocre, and easily goes soft in the middle.Bears heavily and reliablyon a vigorous upright tree. It ripens at the end of february. The pollenizer is Seckle.
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Buerre Hardy-A large pear, almost totally covered by a light colored russet over dull yellow green, fat with a long neck. When well grown it is melting, very juicy, aromatic, sweet and slightly vinous. When not well grown it is a bit grainy, mediocre, and somewhat astringent. Bears moderately well, regular and sturdy tree. Ripens/in shops mid march
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Buerre Diel-Rusetted lemon yellow brown, medium large, fat and dumpy, flesh crisp and also very grainy unless perfectly grown. In less than ideal conditions lightly underripe ones have an interesting and good flavor but you have got to get them exactly ripe-while firm, but yellowish ground color. If the conditions don't suit it, which is more often than not, it will be coarse and astringent. At it's best, in suitable conditions, it is said to be delicious and distinctive. Ripe end of march, beginning of April
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Clapps-light sunny yellow green, 80mm deep by 65mm diameter, about 200gms, fat, roundish, almost no neck. Tthey go sleepy in the middle rapidly and should be eaten firm. Available in shops early February.
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Concorde-a yellow skinned classically pear shaped variety. The flesh is sweet and meltng, with a very good flavor (it is a cross between Comice and Conference). Pollenizers are Doyenne du Comice, Conference and Willian Bon Chretien. It ripens mid march onward. Plant Variety Right protected (may not be propagated).
 
Conference-Medium large pear, rather long and thin, with green russeted almost smooth skin. The sweet, juicy, melting flesh is rich and aromatic, and has a slight pinkish tinge when it is ripe. Conference is partly self fertile and a reliable and profuse cropper.
 
Doyenne du Comice-a large, somewhat dumpy pear, yellowish green often with a slight pinkish blush and thickish skin. Regarded as the finest flavored pear when well grown in conditions it likes. When well grown and properly ripened, it has extremely fine smooth flesh, and is oustandingly sweet as well as very juicy. When conditions don't suit it and it is not well grown and picked at the right time, it is grainy, poor, and somewhat astringent. For best results, it should be refrigerated before it is taken out to ripen. The tree is upright and vigorous. Tends toward biennial bearing. Ready late february/march. Pollenizers are Beurre Bosc,  William's Bon Chretien or Winter Nelis. Compatible with quince.
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Louis bon de Jersey- elongate medium size pear with smooth green skin heavily suffused bronzy-red. Pleasant, aromatic, very juicy fruit with tender melting flesh, slightly granular at the core; a reliable producer on a fairly vigorous tree. The fruit keep well. Pollenizers are William's Bon Chretien, Winter Nelis and Conference.
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Packham's Triumph-distinctive medium to large totally light yellow green pear, with a fat neck. Looks like a lumpy Williams bon Chretien. Ready late february/march. Really needs a period of refrigeration to ripen properly. Pollenizers are William's Bon Chretien, Winter Nelis and Beurre Bosc. Compatible with quince.
 
Seckle (Honey pear)- A small, reddish-brown skinned pear that is crisp fleshed, very sweet, juicy, perfumed, with very distinctive flavor. It can be confidently fully ripened on the tree without becoming soft and brown in the middle, although it is not a good keeper once mature. The tree is vigorous and very productive and reliable. It is also somewhat self fertile.
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
Stark Crimson-A red skinned mutation of Clapp's Favorite. Totally crimson-bright on one side, dark the other, 85mm deep by 70mm dia , around 210gms, fat and dumpy, somewhat acutely pointed at the stem end. Thick stalk. The flesh is quite fine, with relativey few fibres, and the flavor is unremarkable, inoffensive. Slight acidity. Ripens well in the fruit bowl without core sleepiness. Ripe/In the shops late January - early february. Pollenizers are William's Bon Chretien, Winter Nelis and Conference.
 
Taylors Gold-similar size shape and eating qualities to Doyenne du Comice, but totally russeted browny gold. Not suprising as it is said by the Apple and Pear marketing Board to be a natural mutation of Comice, in spite of some claim it is a cross between Comice and Beurre Bosc.
 
Triumph de Vienna-A large green-brown rough skinned pear; the flesh is crisp and juicy, sweet, slightly acidic and flavorful. It has to be picked on the early side, before it picks easily with ripeness, otherwise it invariably goes brown and soft in the middle. very early, ripening at the beginning of february.
 
Winter Nelis-A small pear, yellow green skin, lightly russet dotted, the flesh is firm but fine (a bit gritty near the core tho'), sweet, and juicy, with good rich flavor; useful for cooking and bottling as well as being a very good fresh eating pear. Late ripener. The fruit store well. Productive and reliable. The tree is a bit straggly, sparse and spreading. Usually fails on quince unless double worked with a compatible pear interstem. Pollenizers Beurre Bosc and William's Bon Chretien.
 
William's Bon Chretien (called Bartlett in USA)-A large, greenish yellow fruit, smooth skin, classic if slightly dumpy pear shaped. The flesh is smooth and moderately juicy. The flavor is neutral but sweet. Ripeness is sometimes hard to determine. Often either sleepy or too crisp. Perhaps best picked when still slightly green and ripened off the tree to yellow, when it develops a lovely musky flavor. Fruit fall naturally in Febuary. It will keep in refrigeration for about 3 months. There is also a red form, dull pink red skin, otherwise identical, although the tree is perhaps not quite as vigorous. Very good for bottling and cooking. The tree is vigorous and upright, and reliably productive. It's pollenizers include Beurre Bosc, Winter Nelis, Doyenne du Comice and Conference.
 
Color plate from the book 'The Pears of New York' by U. P. Hedrick, published by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1921, and scanned in by the US Department of Agriculture National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon
 
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This is a fairly brief overview of the varieties, but is all I have time for right now. I would be pleased if you would take the time to write up some notes or comments, no matter how brief, in an e-mail -or as a web page (.html) or notepad (.txt) file - for inclusion here. Don;t send word (.doc) files please! E-mail me if you can help. Thanks.
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