History of the Old Home X Farmingdale Pear Rootstocks

Abstract

In the early 1920's Professor Frank C. Reimer, Oregon State College, Southern Oregon Branch Experiment Station, Medford, Oregon, began a long and lasting research program working toward improvement of pear rootstocks. Reimer's primary search was for development of stocks resistant to fire blight ( Erwinia amylovora) along with other desirable qualities. In his first years he worked mainly with a number of Oriental pear species. Although most of these stocks turned out to be of no value, he selected four trees of Pyrus betulaefoliathat were resistant to fire blight. A few seedlings of P. calleryanasnowed some degree of blight resistance. Generally speaking, neither of these species can be considered practical to propagate by any method other than by seed, and of course, seed trees must be grown in a very isolated area. Both spp. are susceptible to winter root injury, and both produce trees of considerable vigor, especially P. betulaefolia.