Marauding Artist Fancies Red Pears

	Until the mid-twentieth century, the fruits of all pear trees were green, ripening to a golden yellow.  Occasionally, on the sunny side of the tree, a few fruit developed a red blush, but this was considered a rarity.  In Europe, these red-blushed pears were a valued treasure and were much sought after.   In America, however, they were thought to be abnormal and sent to the juice factory with the other culls.  Around 1947, a Washington pear grower named Max discovered that when the branch of a pear tree was coated with red paint, all the fruit developing on that branch were red!  These fruits were  completely red, not just blushed in a manner so disparaged by the commercial fruit industry.  Max developed a thriving business selling these crimson Bartlett gems for many times the price of ordinary pears.  Alas, in time his secret was discovered, and scarlet pears are now as common as yellow apples.