138 STATE nORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



every year now. My father grew the same before me, and there is no doubt 

 as to their reproducing themselves." 



Of my three-year olds, not one has died. Of the one-year, six failed to 

 grow. None were mulched or watered save when set. Both have made as 

 line growtli during the season as one miglit wisli. 



Those budded on })lum stalks have done even better tlian the seedlings, 

 some growing five feet ten inches in height, throwing out u dozen main 

 branches, a few of which are three feet in length, and the wood is ripened to 

 the tips. 



In conclusion, I may say, that the Wager as a tree, in the ease with which 

 it may be grown, its surety of living when transplanted, its strong, healthy 

 growth, and great hardiness, has proved with me all I desire of any peach. 

 To be sure, my trees have not fruited as yet, but are now set with fruit buds. 

 I do not doubt the veracity of the gentleman from whom my information has 

 been obtained, and having seen and eaten the fruit in the original orchard, 

 also other reproduced from it, I cannot believe but that mine in Michigan will 

 prove the same: at least my faith is strong to tlie extent of six hundred trees. 



Two years since there was not a Wager listed from the larger Western New 

 York nurseries; now they are sending tliem out, budded as a new peach of 

 great promise. 



To you who may wish to try it, allow me to reiterate the words of warning 

 given hitely by one of our prominent horticulturists. lie says: " We advise 

 great caution about buying tlie Wager i)each, if you desire to get not only 

 the genuine but natural trees from the pit, tiiat reproduce the same from the 

 pit. A yellow meated peach grown in the county in which the Wager origi- 

 nated is being sent out as the Wager, wliich we now have good evidence is not 

 that sort, and further, the Wager has been budded into natural trees, and is 

 being sold as 'genuine Wager,' which tliey were, but being budded into 

 natural seedlings, the pit from said trees will not reproduce the same once in 

 fifty times. So if you wish to get the trees that will reproduce the genuine 

 Wager, be cautious of whom you jjurchase.'' 



Mr. Smith, Ionia: I would like to ask Mr. Lyon to explain about peaches 

 reproducing from the pit. 



Mr. Lyon gave a number of illustrations of varieties that reproduce very true 

 from the pit, naming among them Hill's Chili, Crawfords by selection of 

 seedlings by foliage, Barnard, and Red Cheek Melocoton. In growing trees 

 as seedlings oftentimes the only change that will be perceptible will be a change 

 in the time of ripening. The reason for one variety coming true while others 

 do not may not be known, but the facts concerning them are very well under- 

 stood. 



Mr. Baldwin did not believe in the idea brought out in the last few sen- 

 tences of the essay, that the Wager budded on another stock will not reproduce 

 from the pit once in lifty times. 



Mr. Green, Eaton Kapids: We have for a long series of years grown the 

 Melocoton from pits without any material change in the characteristics of the 

 stock. 



The next paper was by A. S. Partridge, of Flushing, entitled 



