608 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



spraying may be made as the plants begin to vine and other applica- 

 tions made as growth takes place in order to keep all new growth 

 covered with the Bordeaux. The rust is the worst in hot, wet 

 seasons. 



There are many varieties of melons differing in earliness, color 

 of flesh, shape and size. The green fleshed varieties are firmer than 

 the salmon fleshed varieties and should be grown on the warmer, 

 lighter soils and for long distance shipping. While the orange 

 fleshed varieties are much richer in flavor, as a rule, but become 

 over ripe and soft, quickly when grown on light, warm soils, they 

 are perfect melons in every respect when grown in a cool location. 

 While it is claimed that some markets are particular in their de- 

 mands for certain varieties, I find that if the flavor is present it 

 does not matter what the size is or whether it is a green or salmon 

 fleshed variety. Of the green fleshed varieties. Netted Gem, Long' 

 Island Beauty and Pollock, are probably the leading ones, while 

 Emerald Gem, Hoodoo and Miller's Cream lead the salmon fleshed 

 varieties. 



PEACHES 



By W. W. FARNSWORTH, Waterville, Ohio. 



I am glad to be with you this morning, and bring to you the 

 greetings of the fruit growers of the Buckeye State. 



It seems that anything outside of the apple does not receive much 

 attention. I am not jealous of the prominence of the apple; the 

 consumer has been paying a liberal price for the fruit, and it has 

 become so profitable that there may be some excuse for giving it 

 the prominence it has attained. Still, there are other varieties of 

 fruit, both of the large and small varieties that can be made equally 

 as profitable. Take for instance the first of the spring fruits, the 

 strawberry, or, of the larger fruits, the peach, of which I am to 

 talk to you this morning. 



The first thing, perhaps in the growing of peaches, is the soil 

 and I fear that in this, very often, has been laid the basis for mis- 

 takes. We have been told that the peach will do best in a soil that 

 is poor. I believe this is a mistake, and in the light of our present 

 methods and knowledge, it does better to have a rich soil, although 

 we must be careful not to have too much nitrogen, so as to permit 

 the trees to grow too rapidly, but I believe a good, rather heavy soil 

 is the best. We have there in Ohio the Catawba Island section, 

 which is a low, flat rather heavy soil, naturally underdrained by a 

 layer of sand, which also acts as a conservor of the moisture; and 

 there is also the section along Lake Erie, where the climate is moder- 

 ate, and where they do not seem to feel the lack of air drainage so 

 much as in some of the inland sections. We realize, however, that 

 the peach will not thrive with wet feet. 



