ANNUAL MEETING. 135 



E. H. Scott, Ann Arbor: -Red CiuuuJa needs a good deal richer soil to ensure 

 success than the Baldwin. 



Mr. Uealy: If you want somothing to please tlie eye grow the Ben Davis. 



S. W. Dorr, Mancliester, cxphiiiied tiie working of his fruit liousc ; said 

 there was money in it. The Baldwin was the apple for proSt if a fruit house 

 is used. 



Mr. Collar, Adrian : One wants good trees to start with to insure profits, 

 and wants his land prepared for its work of producing fruit; better burn poor 

 trees than to plant them ; better not start at all than to start wrong. 



The President announced that the time iiad arrived for the next subject: 



THE WAGER PEACH. 



Mr. H. W. Davis, of Lapeer, read the following essay upon the topic: 



Mk. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: My attention was first called 

 to the Wager peach by the following article, which appeared in the Kural 

 Home, of Rochester, N. Y., in the month of September, 1879. 



Explanatory to reading it before you, allow me to state that I then repre- 

 sented in the Saginaw Valley a Western New York nursery. I had discovered 

 that very few, if any, budded peach trees were successfully grown there, but 

 that seedlings were hardy enough to stand the severe winters, and were bearing, 

 as a rule, quite fair crops. 



It was plain to be seen that if the Wager would certainly reproduce itself as 

 a seedling, and was the hardy, productive, fine flavored, desirable market and 

 canning peach, that these testimonials claimed for it, it surely would prove 

 the peach for the million in that lo>f country. 



This communication, as you will see, is from nurserymen to the editors of 

 the Rural Home. 



Editors Rural Home: We send you this day, samples of our Wager 

 peach put up nearly as they run from the tree, large and small. The fruit 

 is rather smaller this year than last, on account of the fearful loads the trees 

 are carrying, as no variety with us is as large as last season. This is no new 

 variety, but has been grown in our county (Ontario), many years, and is noted 

 for its hardiness and sure bearing qualities, having borne very heavy with us 

 when all other varieties have failed. The fruit shows for itself. Hoping they 

 may reach you safely, we remain 



Yours truly, 



Honeoye, N. Y. A. R. & L. Pennell. 



They did reach us safely, as they could hardly have failed to do, so care- 

 fully were they packed, and we enjoyed an excellent feast upon them. They 

 are rather above medium in size, of a creamy yellow color, firm flesh, small 

 pit, and a very pleasant, agreeable flavor, suggesting that of the apricot. We 

 learn through an old Ontario county peach grower, that the Wager will per- 

 petuate itself tlirough its pit, but does not always transmit its season, and so 

 its progeny, although alike in all other characteristics, ripen all the way from 

 August 20th up till killed by frost. That habit must render it a very conven- 

 ient peach in connection with its certainty of bearing. When other peaches 

 fail, seedlings of this variety might give you peaches all through the season. 



Wo copy a few of the many testimonials sent us by the Messrs Pennell : 



I have known the Wager peach about thirty years, and have grown it for 

 the past twelve years. It is a very hardy variety, and has borne fruit some 



