Last week you will remember we talked about tree planting in the yard. This week I thought we might want to talk about what kind of tree to plant. Among the many trees out there for planting the group that I like the best are pears. I like pear trees because they have very pretty flowers, glossy deep green leaves and very nicely shaped.

There is however, a big draw back in pear trees. That drawback is a bacterial disease known as fireblight. If it were not for fireblight, pear trees would be in every yard in Washington County for they are well adapted to our climate.

Pears do best in a deep, fertile, well-drained soil that might be described as a sandy-clay loam. However, they tolerate a wide range of soil types as long as drainage is good.

Many pears have a fairly upright growth, and make a useful tree for the backyard with limited space. In lawn areas that are heavily fertilized pears should not be used, since heavy nitrogen fertilization can stimulate lush growth susceptible to fireblight.

The best known pear varieties are Bartlett and Keiffer. Both are old varieties often planted because the names are familiar. Neither is ideal.

Bartlett has excellent flavor and fruit quality, but is very susceptible to fireblight. Keiffer is very blight resistant, but fruit quality is poor, since the fruit contains large grit cells that give the flesh a sandy texture.

When selecting pear varieties for the yard, blight resistance is a very important consideration. Among varieties with blight resistance are Moonglow, Magness, Maxine, Starking Delicious, and Seckel (the latter two are excellent). Resistance does not guarantee that a tree may not get fireblight, but only indicates that a tree is less likely to be attacked.

The attractive white flowers of pears which are produced in very early spring, making them subject to frost damage, especially when they are planted in low-lying areas with cold air pockets. Most pear varieties are self-sterile and need cross-pollination from a tree of another variety. If there is room for only one tree, Duchess can be grown alone and still produce a crop.

Although pear trees are able to survive in fairly dry conditions, fruit may become undersized and of poor quality. Therefore, trees should be located where watering is possible in mid to late summer while the pear is developing.

Pear trees should never be heavily pruned. Only prune enough to keep the branches open and admit sunlight or any spray material that might need to be used. Heavy pruning can stimulate tender, succulent growth, which again is susceptible to fireblight infection. If the blackened, dying shoots or sunken dead cankers on the limbs appear, the shoots or limbs should be cut off well below the canker or dead tissue (6 to 10 inches if possible).

Summer pruning of blighted twigs and branches can spread the bacteria on the shears. Therefore, pruning shears should be dipped into a disinfecting solution, such as 5 percent bleach, between cuts.