An early season pear with good resistance to fire blight; among the hardiest tested at Univ. of Minnesota. Originally received by Univ. of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm, Excelsior, in 1933 from John Gaspard, Caledonia, Minn. Released in 1987 by J.J. Luby, D.S. Bedford, E.E. Hoover, S.T. Munson, W.H. Gray, D.K. Wildung, and C. Stushnoff. Parentage unknown; ancestry includes P. ussuriensis and P. communis. Tested as Gaspard #5 and N33201. Not patented. Origin: Tree: medium size; conical shape; blooms with Patten and Parker; requires cross-pollination. Fruit: pyriform; 60 to 80 mm diam., 80 to 100 mm long; skin green with red blush and prominent red lenticels. Flesh crisp, juicy, mild flavor. Stores for 6 weeks under refrigeration; develops internal browning when allowed to ripen before storage. Not suitable for canning.
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