Sam,
Ayers doesn't produce viable pollen, so for reliable pollination of orient you'll need another.I don't know if you're far enough south for self-pollination as is the case with many.

I have to disagree. My Ayers pollinates my Maxine.

Ray,
Off of NCGR corvallis,
Ayers (PI 541722). -Originated in Knoxville, Tennessee, by Brooks D. Drain, Tennessee Agriculture Experiment Station. Introduced in 1954. Garber x Anjou; tested as Tennessee 37S21. Fruit: skin golden russet with a rose tint flesh juicy, sweet; good for eating fresh and average for canning; first picking in mid-August. Tree: resistant to fire blight, pollen-sterile. - Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties
Pollination is probably occurring through other means.

Since Maxine has to have a pollinator, and Ayers is the only
other pear that I have, what other means is there? It certainly doesn't occur by magic. Don't believe everything you read. I had Ayers before I planted Maxine, so If the pollen is sterile, how did Ayers pollinate itself?

This post was edited by rayrose on Tue, Apr 16, 13 at 9:08

If your Ayers was setting fruit before you had another pear tree, then isn't it likely that there are other pear trees somewhere in your vicinity that are serving as pollinators (which also now pollinate your Maxine)?

Probably occurred through an ornamental or asian variety nearby.

There are no other pears, of any variety, in my neighborhood.
As I said before, don't believe everything you read. Furthermore, Ayers is self fruitful, so how can the pollen be sterile.

This post was edited by rayrose on Tue, Apr 16, 13 at 17:47

You're probably refering to Ayer then.
Originated as a chance seedling on the farm of O.H. Ayer, Sibly, Kansas, 1880. Fruit medium in size, resembling White Doyenne in form and coloration. Flesh fairly fine, buttery, moderately juicy. Mild, pleasing flavor but lacks distinctive dessert quality characteristics. Earlier than Bartlett in season. Tree moderately vigorous, reasonably productive, of fair resistance to fire blight. -- H. Hartman, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, 1957.
I believe the professionals who developed the variety. Also down south your maxine might be self fruitful. How do you know there ain't some type of pear around?

Noogy
I don't understand what being down south has to do with pollination I am a beginner at growing fruit.I have pears and all other fruits.I did not know where you live had anything to do with pollination.I hope you don't mind me asking.I live way down south.

John,
Down south and out west, cali particularly,many euro pears are self fruitful and it seems that the further north and colder, the more dependent we are on pollinators. For some reason up north the pears aren't as parthenocarpic in their production, but i'm no expert. I don't know why.

This is the Ayers that I grow from Johnson's Nursery.

Newer to our pear collection, Ayers is actually an old southern favorite. The fruit are yellow with a red blush. The flesh is smooth and melting with a very sweet flavor. The tree is vigorous, upright and fire blight resistant. The blooms are partially self-pollinating, but better crops will develop with another high chill variety like Bartlett or Blake's Pride. Ripens late July to early Aug.

There are no other pear trees in my neighborhood, because I've looked.

Going back to the original question, both Ayers & Orient are
partially self pollinating, and should pollinate each other.

Orient

Large, nearly round, firm pear. Flesh is juicy and only moderately gritty. Partially self-pollinating and a good pollinator for other varieties. Outstanding fire blight resistance. Recommended variety for Southern States. Ripens early-August. Zones 5-9.

Rayrose,
That's great you're getting fruit. That's what it's all about. Orient sounds good. I'll be driving down from DC to florida in early august and plan on checking out the fruitstands. Ayers is marketed as an old southern favorite of which there are more than one. The one I have is from tennessee.

Bartlett is self-fruitful in So Cal, but here in Denver it needs a pollinator.

Do either of the pictures for these "Ayer(s)" pears look similar to yours?

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/search.pl?accid=%20PI+541120

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/search.pl?accid=%20PI+541722

The Johnson's website description matches more closely to "Ayer" IMO, than "Ayers". It might be helpful to ask them what GRIN accession number matches their "Ayers". According to GRIN the "Ayer" ripens a month earlier than "Ayers".

From Johnson Nursery: "The fruit are yellow with a red blush. The flesh is smooth and melting with a very sweet flavor. The tree is vigorous, upright and fire blight resistant. The blooms are partially self-pollinating, but better crops will develop with another high chill variety like Bartlett or Blake's Pride. Ripens late July to early Aug. Zones 6-8"

Mine does not look like either one of those.