September 2016 - We were at a polka dance in L’Anse and a young couple brought in a wonderful basket of beautiful medium-small pears for the snack table. My experience with pears had been pretty much limited to occasional canned ones and a handful of first small Stacey & Summercrisp pears from our young trees. Happy to have something other than sugar snacks to eat both Steve and I picked up a pear and a few cherry tomatoes. When I sat down I took a bite of the pear...Wow! I had no idea pears could taste like that. Sweet, smooth, great texture, wonderful snack size but larger than Stacey or Summercrisp. Immediately I went back to the table for another one.

I wanted to know more about this pear. But this was a large lively noisy polka party and the young couple had their three young children with them to manage so in-depth conversation just wasn’t going to happen. But I found out that the trees were "old" (inherited when they bought the house), were well known in the area for decades for having good fruit, were wonderfully prolific, and they didn’t know the variety. L’Anse isd on the south shore of Lake Superior.

When we left the polka party the Cadeau's encouraged us to take some of the leftover pears. Deciding not to be greedy we went out the door with four extra fruits (having enjoyed several more during the dance). I planted some of the seeds from these pears in the garden nursery bed.

Suddenly I was interested in Pears. I wanted to add some to my orchard, and in particular this pear. I later emailed the couple and asked for more information about the pear, inquiring about getting some scions. Eric kindly agreed to send some. Soon I received a large envelope full of what, to others, would be a tangle of random branch cuttings but to me it contained precious scions. I sent some of my own apple scions back in trade. I again emailed and asked for more information, anything they might know about where the pear came from, and received another kind reply. Unfortunately this was after I had sorted through his generous package of scions, keeping the best looking, and tossing the rest since I didn’t need that many. After reading his later email I wished I could retrieve the other branches (the unknown second variety) but they had been tossed randomly off into the woods. And I certainly wasn’t going to bother him for more. Here is his information:

"I provided you with three sets of scion wood. Two from the same pear tree and the one is from another.

Pear variety #1 - the single bundle with the thin scion wood w/ terminal buds: This type I believe is either a Forelle pear or a Tyson pear. Many of the flavor characteristics remind me of the Tyson description, however the blushing seems to give it away to a Forelle. Perhaps it is neither of these. They typically come mid August - 1st week of September. I'd have to look for some pictures or take note this year of the blossoms but I think they are pink. Fruit very sweet, hints of cinnamon and other spicy flavors. [These are the pears they had at the party and we tasted].

[Note: The Cadeau’s sell their pears and other wonderful produce at the L’Anse Farmers Market in the summer. If you’re in the area look for them (Radicle Gardens) there, and in the fall you can buy some of their wonderful pears!].

Thankfully I had cut and saved the smaller pieces with end buds, which should be the pear I want. I searched around, sharing photos on the GrowingFruit forum, looked at numerous pictures and descriptions online, but couldn’t find anything that truly matched this pear. Given the amount of seedlings that were planted, crossings that were made, testing done, in Canada, Wisconsin, and elsewhere in the early 1900’s, I’m not surprised. These trials were often distributed and/or sold. Also this is a port town with active shipping and many imports. I’m guessing the variety will not be found in the trade; that it is unique. For my use I’m calling it L’Anse pear.

In May we grafted 2 of the scions onto two young ussuriensis rootstocks. Both grew well, but midsummer the second rootstock died, taking the scion with it. But #1 grew a vigorous 22", healthy. We also grafted 2 scions onto our large seedling chokepear. These had light but healthy growth.

The graft on its own rootstock made it though the winter and put on a small amount of growth. The grafts on the chokepear likewise, not vigorous but still alive (all grafts on the chokepear are slow growing, being on low limbs in the shade of the rest of this very large tree.

The seeds I planted had sprouted and grown a number of seedlings which I later thinned to the two best. In October I transplanted one to the new North Orchard and one in the main orchard inside the fence.