PEAR GROWING IN QUEBEC

Despite its long history, pear culture in Quebec persisted but failed to develop.
Primary limiting factors include cold injury, fire blight, and a short growing season.

Cultivar evaluation trials were initiated 50 years ago at La Pocatiere, 10 years ago at Frelighsburg and 2 years ago at Rockburn, under different micorclimates and soil conditions.
Altogether these trials involved 38 cultivars on Pyrus communis seedlings planted at 4.5 by 7.5 meters and replicated 4 times in a randomized complete block design.
The data collected form the experimental plots involved yield, blooming and picking seasons, precocity, storage quality and the incidence of pear psylla, fire blight or scab.

The cold resistant cultivars having acceptable commercial value were ‘Flemish Beauty’, ‘Clapp’s Favorite’, ‘Miney’, ‘Parker’ and perhaps ‘Guyot’. Our findings indicate the possible establishment of a local pear industry which could supply the roadside market.

III International Symposium on Pear Growing

R. L. Granger

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1982.124.6