In the spring of 2012, I attempted to graft a Pear scion onto my apple tree using Winter Banana Apple as an inter stem. (All of he grafting i do is "Whip and Tongue" grafts wrapped in grafting tape. I then coat the wrapped union with grafting wax) The parent branch was a Winesap Apple branch with a grafted Winter Banana Apple scion from a few years before. (I actually have two of these paired branches.) I then attempted to graft two "Kieffer" Pear scions onto my two Winter Banana Apple inter stems. The "Kieffer" Pear scions started to grow, but died a few weeks later. This spring (2014) I attempted to graft this Apple / Pear union again using the same Winter Banana Apple inter stems. I had just enough branch on my Winter Banana branches to try this experiment one more time. This time around, I used "Sunrise Pear" scionwood. The grafting was a screaming success! (I had enough "Sunrise Pear" scionwood to graft two branches onto my apple tree, and two more onto an ornamental pear. All four pear grafts were a success!) I have no idea why this experiment failed in 2012 and was a success in 2014. I do not know if it had to do with the pear variety used, or if it had to do with environmental circumstances. I will re-post in 2015 with an update. There are a few different treads on this subject so I will be re-posting on those threats also. Below are pictures taken on 07/27/2014.

Charlie, I put an answer on that other pear grafting thread. I didn't mention t-budding. It can work if you cut out a super small bud from the scion: don't take much wood at all with the bud; it will be shaped more oval than square. The way I T-bud in spring is do the bud on the side, then in two or so weeks bend the stock right above the bud to the ground, breaking the bark on one side. This will keep the top leaves to feed the plant but the bud is now dominant and should sprout. This is more hassle which is why I usually just do a wedge graft in this case. Scott

Buyali: In the absence of a photo, you could give us a better description of just how high you are placing the grafts on the rootstocks. If they are close to the ground, your problem could as well be rabbits as deer. If you suspect animals of some type, the rootstock may have to be protected with a circle of wire. You describe the damage as on the "tip of the emerging leaf", which would tend to suggest insects, but many types of insects eat and move on, and would no longer be on the leaves when you look at them with your magnifier. I don't know what active ingredient is contained in Wilson's Bug Spray (the label should say), but it may not be effective against what you are targeting. Try malathion or permethrin. I don't think I would put grease on my rootstocks. If it is petroleum-based grease, it could damage the tissue. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Good for you. Getting the MOST fireblight resistant varieties that produce very good fruit is the goal, whether Asian or European. What a real nice place. Another consideration would be rodents that climb fruit-laden pear trees and help themselves. If it was a concern there, I would prune away all side branches up to about 3-1/2 feet high from ground level so that when your trees have growing fruit that you can wrap a slit section of galvanized duct around the lower trunk and let it stand on the ground. As long as the rodents have no other "ladder" to climb above the duct to reach the branches, the fruit won't disappear due to hungry climbing rodents. So the T posts would need to go also. Larger diameter duct would allow steep-angled forks to remain as you bend the duct into an oval shape.