188 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ALTON-SOUTHERN 



me the least subject to blight o£ any that 1 cultivate. Mt. Vernon 

 gave me an immense crop of fine pears, of very good quality. Pears, 

 if properly grown, are profitable; the early varieties more so than 

 the later ones. We should plant something earlier than the Bartlett 

 that is of good size and quality. Most early pears are either too 

 small, or too poor in quality to be profitable for market. 



Of peaches 1 have had about a half crop, which is about double 

 the average for this locality. The fruit has been large, well colored, 

 and quite free from insect injury, but in flavor not as good as usual, 

 owing to the abundant rains and cool weather at time of ripening. 

 The smallness of the crop is owing very much to the planting of 

 tender varieties like the Crawfords, which, being tender, usually set 

 a very light crop of fruit and on that account attain a large size, 

 hence, sell well in market and are therefore largely planted. 1 think 

 a better plan is to plant hardy varieties and thin the fruit. Most 

 varieties can be made large by proper thinning; even seedlings can 

 be made very respectable. As to the labor involved, it is but a trifle, 

 compared with the good resulting therefrom. Those who have never 

 done any thinning think it a far greater job than it really is. The 

 fact is it is less labor to thin the fruit while young than it is to pick 

 it when it is ripe. In the first case it is only necessary to pick the 

 fruit off and let it fall to the ground. In the second it is put into a 

 basket and taken to the packing shed, sorted, and a large share is 

 rejected as too small. And a share will go into the packages and be 

 sent to market that should not be. A moment's thought ought to 

 convince any sensible person that to thin fruit is less labor than not 

 to do so. It is a satisfaction to market fruit, that you know is good, 

 all through the package, and if you grow all good fruit, you won't 

 be tempted to put the poor in the bottom out of sight. 



At the last meeting I saiji I did not expect to find any really good 

 peach earlier than Early York, but I will take it all back, there are 

 two that have proved earlier and in some respects better than the old 

 favorite. Amelia and St. John are both earlier, large and of the best 

 quality. They have no fault and should be largely planted wherever 

 it pays to grow peaches. The Chinese Cling and its seedlings, 

 Gen Lee, Family Favorite and Thurber, have been very satisfactory, 

 being hardy, productive, fine color, and of the largest size, but to my 

 taste not of the best quality. George the Fourth has been, like in 

 the past, one of the best, and no orchard should be without a good 

 share of it. The same of Old Mixon and Stump. Shippley's Late 

 Red proves to be a very desirable peach, large, hardy, productive, best 

 quality and ripens at a time when there are few good peaches. Great 

 Western, a white cling like Heath, but ripening earlier, shows great 

 hardiness and productiveness, and should be largely planted. Small 

 trees two years planted are loaded with fine fruit. Wilkins, a seed- 

 ling of Heath Cling and like in every way except double the size and 



