BURFORD PEAR (on Quince or OHXF 513 rootstock) is a selection from the orchard of Tom Burford's great-grandfather that he found outstanding because of its flavor, ripening quality, tree stamina and above all, resistance to fireblight and pear psylla. It may be a genetic dwarf, but this is currently at test at Rural Ridge Orchards, where it is grafted on both pear stocks and quince. The oldest tree from the Burford orchard was about 17-feet tall, with a full load of from 17 to 20 bushels. The unfruited limbs were nearly head high and would bend to the ground with mature fruit without breakage. In 1954, Hurricane Hazel blew the tree to a 45-degree angle, but it was righted by a sling around its trunk with the aid of a tractor and produced its usual full crop of pears. For nearly 60 years, the Burford family enjoyed the pears canned from this tree. The ripening time for harvest is forgiving, and even when fully ripe, on the tree or gathered from windfalls, the pears are useable for dessert, canning and pickling.