Burford pear is an aggressive grower and shows no indication of disease or insect damage whatsoever. More time will be needed to understand this pear. Going to be a couple years until it fruits.
From ars grin
" PI 641291 - COR - Pyrus communis burford
Burford Pear was a selection from my great-grandfather’s orchard that undoubtedly, he found outstanding because of it flavor, ripening quality, tree stamina and above all resistance to fireblight and pear psylla. It likely is also a genetic dwarf, but this is currently at test at Vintage Virginia Orchards in North Garden, VA, where it is grafted on both pear stocks and quince. A 75 to 100 year old tree was my childhood backyard favorite pear tree, growing between the row of outhouses and the gas generator house that piped ‘light’ to the main house. Its companion was a Slappy peach, a huge juicy bomb that I enjoyed hurling into the chicken pens to watch frenetic chicken pecking its delectable flesh. This about seventeen foot tree (I measured it a number of times before cutting the top out) has extraordinarily limber branches. With a full load of from 17 to 20 bushels the unfruited limbs nearly head high would bend to the ground with mature fruit without breakage. In 1954 hurricane Hazel blew the tree to a 45 degree angle, but it was righted by a sling around its trunk with the aid of our faithful Ford 8N tractor and produced it usual full crop of pears. For nearly 60 years I enjoyed the pears canned from this tree. The ripening time for harvest is forgiving and even when fully ripe on the tree or gathered from windfalls the pears are useable for dessert, canning and pickling. A family recipe for pear-pineapple jam is especially memorable with only fresh pineapples, a luxury, used. The most significant use of the Burford pear is fresh canned. They are peeled, cored and packed in quart jars with a light syrup poured over; then processed. The color remains white. In the winter they become a favorite dessert, plain or stuffed with Aboria rice and fruits like canned figs or berries or just cheese with a few dashes of port wine. Hickory or walnuts are also good stuffings. – Tom Burford, April 2003.
Picture from http://rootofdavidnursery.com "
It being an aggressive grower makes me wonder about reports that it is “likely to be a genetic dwarf.” Still, Burford’s original decades-old tree was reported to be only 17’. Maybe it slows down with cropping?
Interesting pear—and there’s very little out there in the way of information and pictures from other growers.
(EDIT: Read this as “May '21”—but I now see that you actually posted this in May of this year! Still, cool pear—worthy of a bump! And maybe somebody else out there is growing it, too, and would like to report . . . )
Had one burford graft die of fireblight last year. I’m surprised since it is reportedly highly resistant. We will see if it fruits this year. @Dollie asked about this one.
They’re still whips, no laterals yet. One of the two isn’t happy and I’m not sure why, could be our late frosts this spring. Both came through -26.7F this winter. I put down nitrogen on the entire orchard this past week, but we don’t have any rain in the forecast and we’re already quite dry. I’m undecided if this one is appropriate for my climate.
It does seem surprising to me that renowned fruit expert Tom Burford wouldn’t recognize that his childhood pear was synonymous with a variety as common as Keiffer.
As often as kieffer is mislabeled its possible kieffer is mislabeled.
" Burford Pear
The Burford Pear is an excellent European pear with smooth buttery melting flesh, sweet and delicately flavored. It is considered disease resistant to fireblight. Highly recommended.
Tom Burford shared this tree with us. He relates that “Burford Pear was a selection from my great-grandfather’s orchard that he found outstanding because of it flavor, ripening quality, tree stamina and above all resistance to fireblight and pear psylla. It likely is also a genetic dwarf. A 75 to 100 year old tree was my childhood backyard favorite pear tree…,The tree grows some 16—20 feet and has extraordinarily limber branches. With a full load of from 17 to 20 bushels the unfruited limbs nearly head high would bend to the ground with mature fruit without breakage. These pears can beautifully. The ripening time for harvest is forgiving and even when fully ripe on the tree or gathered from windfalls the pears are useable for dessert, canning and pickling.
Tom also declares this pear excellent for perry and has made an excellent pear vinegar from it as well. Tom is unsure of the provenence of this pear, it could be a seedling or it could be of European derivation, possibly France.
I realize that is what they say that it is the same. I’m pointing out the reason not everyone agrees is because many people are not growing the real kieffer.
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And maybe somebody else out there is growing it, too, and would like to report . . . )
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