PEARSThere are more than 5,000 varieties of pears, not all of them are pear-shaped. They have been cultivated since before 2000 B.C. The leading pear producers, in order are Italy, China and the United States. Pear trees can produce fruit for up to 100 years. The Seckel pear was discovered growing near the Delaware River in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century by a farmer named Seckel. Pears have been cultivated for about 4,000 years, and are now grown in almost all temperate regions of the world. There are more than 5,000 varieties. |