PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 143 



that I observed it more carefully; and in 1862 I bought the farm on 

 which the tree now stands from Judge Logan of Springfield, Abraham 

 Lincoln's first law partner. 



I am confident that for the last forty years the tree has never failed a 

 single year to bear a crop of pears, and to the best of my judgment it has 

 borne eighty bushels of pears in one season. During the last forty years 

 I have annually eaten pears from the tree, and myself and employes regard 

 them as delicious fruit. I have never seen any wormy pears nor a 

 blighted leaf on the old tree nor any of the trees grafted from it. I regard 

 it a more hardy and a more prolific bearer than the wild crab-apple. 



In addition to its good qualities as a dessert fruit, the pear is much 

 sought after for canning and preserving, and, when sold by my tenants, 

 has always brought the highest market price wherever known. 



I would estimate the height of the tree, before the top was broken by 

 heavy loads of fruit, to have been over fifty-five feet, the trunk measuring 

 over ten feet in circumference. I have also a number of young trees 

 propagated by Augustine & Co. of Normal, Illinois, that are six years 

 from graft, and three years after setting in the orchard they fruited, I 

 have also observed the five trees that were grafted more than fifty years 

 ago from the old tree, by Mr, Tocum, and find the same characteristics 

 in them as that the old tree possesses — long life, hardiness, productive- 

 ness, annual bearing, vigorous growth, etc. During these years other 

 varieties of pear ( Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Seckel, Angouleme, etc. ) 

 have been planted in the vicinity and one generation of them after another 

 has passed away, but the old tree still stands as a landmark of much inter- 

 est, especially to the old settlers. 



Titus Sudduth. 



DISCUSSIONS AND REPORTS. 



GOOD AND BAD PEACHES. 



Discussion of the peach question was begun by an inquiry from Mr. 

 Johnson for the name of a good yellow peach ripening before September 

 10. He was told that St. John is such a variety. 



"What about the Kalamazoo?" was asked. 



Mr. Morrill: I have fruited it three years; it is hardy, very produc- 

 tive, needs thinning; is of rich flesh and flavor, has an excellent skin for 

 shipping; bears early; is in general a grand, good peach; ripens between 

 the Crawfords, is about the size of Early Crawford, and is very uniform; 

 is but little troubled by curl-leaf, and there isscarcely a finer peach of any 

 season. 



Mr. A. S. Packard agreed to this commendation of the Kalamazoo as it 

 had come to his acquaintance in his own orcfeard. 



