Clark what’s your opinion on Maxine compared to Ayer’s?
1 Like
Both of them are very good. Maxine are twice the size of ayers. Ayers is a melting , sugary, dripping good pear. Ayers can have an off taste in the skin. I prefer maxine to ayers slightly myself. The size of ayers and the off tasting skin some years are why i prefer maxine. Both are easy to grow. I’d not like to be without either one.
2 Likes
Wow great information! Thanks Clark. Do they both have a similar texture?
1 Like
No they are totally different. Ayers is melting , juicy, dripping, sugary. You will wear ayers if you dont lean over something. It is very very juicy! It will be the juiciest pear you ever ate. Maxine is very good , delicious, large, normal pear texture , not dripping.
1 Like
Just stumbled onto this thread from the Southern Pear thread.
I’m not finding much info on Maxine for chill. I wonder if it will go to 9a.
1 Like
Maxine is an old and not well known pear except among our circles. It was released in 1900 in Ohio, United States. It was a chance seedling and the first cultivar originated in 1845. Buechly, E.M. was the propagator of this pear. There is precious little data available. @coolmantoole may be able to tell us if Maxine will work that far South.
" History
Maxine has an interesting history. The original tree was found as a seedling pear tree in Preble County, OH. It was named and commercialized by E.M. Buechly around 1900.
In 1930 Marvin Cook of Tipp County, OH discovered a seedling pear tree which was subsequently released in 1953 by the famous Stark Brothers nursery as Starking Delicious.
The similarities between these two varieties are such that they are now considered to be identical."
Everyone says it is zone 5-8. If you would want to try to grow it you might have mixed results.
2 Likes
Yes that is the one of the few articles I found except for this forum.
Thanks.
1 Like
The best ones I’ve observed were 42 years ago about 30 minutes southeast of Nashville, TN.
So, I’ve not actually fruited it in KY except that I have it on a couple pear multigraft trees and may see fruit next summer.
2 Likes
Added plenty of extra Maxine trees last year.
1 Like