220 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ALTON- SOUTHERN 



nounced unfit to eat. I believe there is money in growing 

 peaches here. Alton peaches have a reputation in Chicago, but 

 if we send them much such early stuff we will soon lose our 

 good name. Nearly all these varieties, Amsden, Alexander, etc. 

 are seedlings of the Hale's Early and are all alike. Georgia and 

 other southern peach-growing states have made the same mis- 

 take, and are suffering for it. About the first good peaches we 

 get are Troth, Early York, George the Fourth, and Mountain 

 Hose. 



Mr. Riehl — I agree with Capt. Hollister in his remarks, but 

 think Early York better than Troth, but I think Amelia and 

 Plater's St. John earlier and better than any others that have 

 been named. Have grown them and know them to be good. 



Mr. Pearson — This gives me a chance to say what every man 

 so dearly loves to say. I told you so. I have always held that 

 these early peaches were a nuisance, and think the best thing 

 you, who have the trees, can do, is to grub them out. If you 

 market them people get so disgusted with them that they will 

 not buy good peaches when they come to market. Truly Alton 

 peaches have a good reputation in Chicago, which you cannot 

 afford to lose. Last year I had a talk with one of the leading 

 fruit men there, and he asked me why they were receiving no 

 more peaches from Alton. I told him that we had not had a 

 crop since 1881, and hereupon he said that they had no good 

 peaches since then. You cannot afford to put your good name 

 in jeopardy by sending them such stuff as this. 



VINEYARDS. 

 Mr. Armstrong — My grapes are in about the same condition as 

 last year, they have rotted badly. I have not sprayed. 



Mr. Browne — Should some leaves be affected by the rot, there 

 is where it makes its first appearance. The fungus winters in 

 the ground, in the spring it comes out and settles upon the 

 leaves where it is first noticeable in the form of little brownish 

 black spots, sometimes these are so thick as to utterly destroy 

 the leaf. It grows to maturity in the leaf and then goes to the 

 young grapes. I have sprayed with the Bordeaux mixture, using 

 nine pounds of copper sulphate, and the same quantity of lime 

 to thirty-one gallons of water, and I am perfectly satisfied with 



