Pear

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Maloideae
Genus: Pyrus
Species: P. communis

Pears are picked when they are almost ripe. The fruit has to come off if you lift the fruit vertically. The late races can be kept for months at a dark place.
Pears ripen best at room temperature. If you want too keep them a few days you have to keep them in a dark and cold place.

Pears are original from Europe and Asia. The first cultivated races were selected from the wild varieties in the prehistoric ages. The Romans knew in the beginning 6 cultivated sorts and later mention 56 races. A late medieval Italian list mentions 232 varieties.
Around 1640 in England only 60 varieties were known. In 1842 more than 700.
In 1860 the American author T.W. Fields mentions 850 races.
This fast increase of pear cultivars during the late 18th century can be ascribed to a few French and Belgian cultivators.