This is the other unknown 60 year old tree in my late aunt’s yard. I can’t find clear evidence of grafting on either tree, but they are so big and old maybe the graft scar is just completely obscured. Anyway, the pears range from being medium sized to quite small. If picked at the right time they do soften up and become quite delicious at room temperature. When firm ripe they are hard and kind of hard to peel. But as indicated above, they do become buttery and sweet with a robust European pear flavor when fully ripe. The skin is thick. It’s not one you will want to just take a bight out of. This pear is also an early bloomer, while it’s bloom overlaps enough with the other tree, it starts blooming later. It overlaps most fully with Southern Bartlett.
I am thinking that it might be a hybrid between European and Asian pears, I was reading about such hybrids being like both European and Asian at the same time.
Yet most such hybrids are usually not good qauialty
The tree with the rounded fruit is most definitely a hybrid. The other one probably is as well. Most varieties that can take our heat, humidity, fire blight pressure and are low chill enough for our mild winters have some sand pear in their pedigree. Quality can vary a lot from variety to variety and from one hybrid seedling to another. But there are some very high quality hybrid pears out there. God bless.
Marcus
These pears are pretty good, but if they are indeed seedlings, they probably are not unique enough or high quality enough to introduce as a new variety. The best candidate for this would not be the one that becomes a soft eating pear but the rounded crunchy one with really good processing qualities. From a processing perspective it has to really good qualities. First the fruit is more round than pear shape which makes it better for mechanical processing. It’s other good quality is that while its firm enough that the the flesh does not cook up to nothing, its still soft enough to peel which makes it exceptional for hand processing. It’s the easiest processing pear I have tried to work with. God bless.
Marcus
Hi Marcus. Thanks for your helpful information on Southern Bartlett, et al. I just picked three pears from one of my three So. Bartlett trees this afternoon in the Napa Valley. I have a small orchard on an acre, 10 figs, 10 pears, a half dozen quince, same number of apples, three persimmon and cherries, etc. I’m obsessed with combatting fire blight and getting enough chill hours for my cherries, in particular. Spend my professional time working on climate change and environmental issues. Just thought I would let you know how much appreciate your postings here.
Thank you. See the FB page on which I’m an administrator. The Southern Pear Interest Group. I am also an administrator for Muscadine Growers Interest Group.
Thanks. Be sure and check out Golden Boy Pear. God bless.
Marcus
http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1167&context=utk_agbulletin
Info about some Southern pears that are resistant or very resistant to fireblight: Ayers, Moores, Dabney and Hoskins. I’ve heard of Ayers but the others seem a little more unusual. Lots of info about these pears everything from bloom date to suitability for canning. 
I grafted Ayers at a friend’s place here in Md, will see how it does. I see people saying good things about Ubileen in Deep South.
I planted a Ubileen and a Harrow Sweet this year and have done minimal spraying this summer. Ubileen looks almost pristine, while the Harrow Sweet looks a bit beat up (though is still very healthy.)
I know one year isn’t enough to draw any sort of conclusion, but I’m impressed thus far.
Justopted some info on Dabney. It’s gonna be a good one I think.
Does anyone know where one can purchase scion wood for southern pears? I’m particularly interested in Golden Boy or LeConte after hearing the descriptions by Marcus. I think they would do really well in my area where fireblight is terrible. None of the usual online sellers seem to carry these varieties. I’m also happy to trade. Thanks.
PM sent
I will probably be harvesting scion wood later this week after things have warmed a bit from the predicted cold Wednesday. I can send enough for a home grower from my trees. At least that’s the case with Golden boy, LeConte, Southern Bartlett, Tennessee, Winnie and Granny Durden which is the other big mystery soft pear on the same property as Winnie. (It is likely a named variety, but I have no clue witch one. It seems similar but not identical to Baldwin. God bless.
Marcus
hey @coolmantoole, Aside from the Leconte which I have, I’ll try a stick or two of whatever you can spare. to
OK, pm me your mailing information. Golden boy is very similar to LeConte, at least the good LeConte, but the pears seem to be bigger and higher quality and the tree is a much more robust grower. They still, they are so similar that they are almost redundant. My guess is that Goldenboy is a chance seedling of LeConte.
Note there appears to be two strains of Leconte out there. The Pears of New York says things about the variety that bare no resemblance to my tree at all or two what others in Georgia who have old trees propagated from the original mother tree that was on the LeConte Plantation. The Pears of New York describes a hard pear with gritty flesh that is similar to but of lower quality than a Kieffer. My LeConte is a soft pear with fine flesh and that what you find in the descriptions of people who have pears from the original LeConte mother tree. If you find yourself disappointed in your LeConte, you may not have the original. There is always the possibility that Just Fruits and Exotics messed up the id on my tree and that it is really a Golden Boy. The differences between the two could be the difference in the soil from one side of the yard to the other. God bless.
Marcus
Will do. Only one of my pear trees has fruited so far and they fell victim to fireblight, so I couldn’t tell you for certain if I have the true Leconte or not. It was purchased several years ago from a local Ace nursery.
In addition to the Leconte, I have a pinapple, Kieffer and Flordahome.
I don’t have much Orient or Scarlet, but I can spare one twig of each. You need one of theme so that you have a pollination partner for your Kieffer. I think the other three will be early enough bloomers to miss Kieffer all together. LeConte might overlap with it a little since it blooms later than Pineapple and Florida Home. My understanding is that LeConte is fully self fertile. I’m positive that Golden Boy is. Orient and Kieffer have a reputation of blooming together, and LeConte is completely bloomed out before my very young Orient breaks leaf bud. God bless.
Marcus
Interesting varities Marcus
Womack nursery here in Texas describes the LeConte as creamy; moderately soft; sounds about like the JFE LeConte