The Estella pear was very hard to track down. Information has all but dissapeared much like the pear. Similar to Douglas and ayer the estella pear is another i will work hard to make popular again before it is to late. Full text of "Illustrated descriptive catalogue of fruit and ornamental trees : vines, shrubbery, roses, bulbs, etc."
Please see this link first for the douglas pear Douglas Pear named after douglas county kansas where the @39thparallel orchard is located. See this link next for the ayer pear named after the Ayer family which are the breeders of these pears Anyone growing the Ayer pear from Kansas? Its not the same pear as Ayers
"AYER — Originated about thirty years
ago, as a chance seedling, on the farm
of O. H. Ayer, Douglas County, Kans.
Rather slow, upright grower, similar to
Bartlett, but the foliage is like Seckel.
Mr. Ayer thinks it is a seedling of
Seckel, as a tree of this variety stood
only a few rods distant from where the
original Ayer tree first appeared. Form
obovate; size medium to large, slope
gradual, with color greenish or pale
lemon with light scarlet blush on ex-
posed side covered with russet dots;
flesh yellowish white; fine grain, but-
tery, melting, juicy. Mild sub-acid,
rich and fine. So far the tree has
shown no tendency to blight, and we
believe this is a pear of special merit
for the Middle West. Season last of
July and first of August; two weeks
earlier than Bartlett.
INCE — ^We give here descriptions of Ince
and Estella pear just as given us by
A. W. Ayer, son of O. H. Ayer, orig-
inator of Ayer, Ince and Estella pears.
The Ince pear started from seed about
16 years ago on my father’s place. It
is one of many trees that father and
myself gathered from under pear trees,
where they came up from fruit of the
previous year. We set them in nurs-
ery rows and here the Ince pear, when
but a small tree, began to bear and
early gave evidence of having many
good Qualities. We therefore began to
propagate from it. We have found it
to be a very young bearer, beginning
to fruit at times the second year; very
prolific, bearing almost every year and
over-loading most years. It seems to be
blight-proof thus far. The fruit is good
sized and a bright yellow with an occa-
sional red blush, handsome and showy,
melting and delicious in its season,
which is about the last of October.
ESTELLA — The Estella is also a pear
started from seed on my father’s farm
under about the same conditions as the
Ince pear. It early gave evidence of
being a good pear. It is a very thrifty
sturdy-growing tree and thus far has
shown no signs of blight. Its fruit is
about the same size of the Bartlett; is
very dark green until almost ripe, when
it gets somewhat yellow; is a very de-
licious eating pear, the flesh being rich
flavored, melting and creamy colored;
has no grain, core hardly noticeable,
few seeds — altogether a most excellent
pear. Season about the last of Sep-
tember. A. W. AYER. "
Photo belongs to corvallis it is not mine.
