STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 161 



root -pruning. At any rate, I root-pruned in May, when I found certain limbs not healthy, 

 and at the .same time cut off the unhealthy limbs, and the disease appeared to stop. 



PEACHES. 



We saw peaches everywhere, even as far up as Aurora, but hardly any good crops ; 

 those who had trees in the north part of the State had some peaches, and we think our 

 northern Mends should keep seedling trees growing. Mr. M inkier informs me that by 

 planting a row or two of peach pits about his place, he gets a lot of peach trees that 

 cost almost nothing and bring a crop or two of fruit that is quite remunerative in peach- 

 Less regions. This fruit is so much better picked ripe from the tree, that northern culti- 

 vators ought to exert themselves to secure at least a limited supply. Dwarf varieties, 

 such as Van Bureu's Golden Dwarf and the Italian Dwarf, can be easily protected ; and, 

 by double working, can dwarf other varieties. And even ordinary trees, by close plant- 

 ing, shortening-ln and roofing, can probably be made profitable, and certainly agreeable 

 to the family, in high latitudes. 



Mr. Wier at Lacon, informed us that he had 400 to 500 seedling peach trees planted in 

 1864, that had a good crop on them this year, and bore a few last year. The borer and 

 the June grass, he declares to be the two chief difficulties to contend against. 



At Quincy, at the State Fair, Mr. D. C. Benton of that city, exhibited 61 varieties of 

 peaches, fresh or preserved in brine. He kindly furnished me with the times of ripening 

 of the ditrerent varieties, this year, and I took notes of his remarks upon them as follows : 



Aug. 5th — Hale's Early : Rots badly ; got 30 boxes from 70 trees. 



Aug. 11th — Serrate Early York: Rots nearly as badly as Hale's Early. 



Aug. 15th— Fay's Early Anne : Rots, of no value. 



An!?, loth— Troth's Early Red: One of the best market sorts. 



Aui, r . 17th — Haine's Early lied, (Phoenix) : Higher colored and not so downy as Troth's ; 

 rots ; of no value. 



Aug. 18th — Coolidge's Favorite : Rots badly. 



Aug. 18th — Early Lemon, (Pullen) of clear yellow color; of no value. 



Aug. ISth — Honest John, (yellow) : A good market sort. 



Aug. 20th — Amelia. 



Aug. 20th — George IV., (Phoenix) : Same as Large Early York. 



Aug. 20th — Yellow Rareripe, (Pullen) : A Serrate variety. 



Aug. 24th — Crawford's Early : Most profitable variety thus far. 



Aug. 24th — Galbraith's Seedling : Of no value. [I think this cannot be the true Gal- 

 braith, which ripens earlier.] 



Aug. 24th — Large W/iite Free, (Pullen) : Of no value. 



Aug. 25th — Bergen's Yellow : A shy bearer. 



Aug. 86th— Van Zandt's Sujwrb: Of no value. 



Aug. 26th — Yellow Rareripe: Bears well here. 



Aug. 27th — Early Admirable: Very like Oldmixon Free. 



Aug. 27th — Early Barnard : Of high color and very firm. 



An;'. 27th — White Imperial: Showy ; rots badly. 



Aui?. 80th — Snow: Undesiraale. 



Sept. 1st — Brevoort: One of the finest. 



Sept. 1st — Druid Hill: Not desirable In competition with Oldmixon Free. 



Sept. 1st — Late Delaware: Not desirable. 



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