Pear tree pollination begins, making this year even more delicious/Yamoto

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1204160032/

April 17th, 2012

Mr. Yasuda performs the pollination process=Daikan, Yamato City

In the corner of a residential town in Daikan, Yamoto City, farmer Yasuda Yoshio's (Age 68) white pear fields (35 Ares large) have begun to bloom. To carry out the business of pollination, he handles a device resembling an ear pick. Covered in red pollen, he places it onto the pistils of each flower.

After the period has elapsed for picking flowers and the fruit has sprung, the harvest season lasts from the end of July until Mid-September. It's said that if a kousui or housui pear of 350-450 grams doesn't reach the marketplace, 500 customers are ready for the pears to be delivered to their homes. Word of his fruit has spread all over the country, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

Mr. Yasuda, working the pear fields for 28 years: "Thanks to couriers, fully ripened pears can be harvested and delivered onto people's dining tables the next day. At any rate, fresh (and therefore) juicy pears are delicious," he commented, stretching his torso. But, being in a residential area, it's difficult to have an expansive pear field. Regrettably, once production has reached a limit, new orders cannot be accepted.

Original text:

今年も美味に、ナシの花粉付け始まる/大和

2012年4月17日

花粉付けを行う保田さん＝大和市代官

大和市代官の住宅街の一角にある農家保田嘉雄さん（68）の35アールの畑で白いナシの花が開き始め、花粉付けの作業が行われている。耳かきのような道具を手に赤く着色された花粉をめしべに付けていく。

摘花や摘果を経て、収穫は７月下旬から９月半ばごろまで。一つ３５０～４５０グラムほどという大玉の香水や豊水などを市場を通さず、口コミで広がった北海道から沖縄まで全国の顧客５００人に宅配で届けている。

ナシ栽培28年という保田さんは「宅急便のおかげで、完熟状態で収穫したナシを、翌日には食卓に届けることができる。新鮮だから、みずみずしくとにかくおいしい」と胸を張る。ただ、住宅街ゆえに畑は拡大するのは難しい。生産が追いつかず、残念ながら新規の注文を断らざるを得ない状態という。