14 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



thinned tree is less labor than one not thinned. The expense of tiiinn!iii:> 

 is more than saved in the final cost of picking. If you leave theui on 

 you of course will get twice as many apples, but it takes twice as long- 

 to do the work, and then there is the sorting. Eleven years ngo T com- 

 menced thinning apples, and T did so t;t a cost of from 25 cems to -51.50 

 per tree, and took alternate trees through the row. I had the same 

 success as Mr. Hawley, and found that when the expense was taken 

 into consideration, it was less when I thinned, so it worked two ways, it 

 was more profitable as regards the labor involved, and I got better fruit 



A Member — I Avould like to know if the Mcintosh is not an earlier 

 ripening apple than the Snow? 



Mr. Hawley — Yes, it is. 



A Member — I am not so sure about the ripening, but I do know that 

 it is a magnificent table apple, and its orchard qualities are excellent. 



A Member^ — Why do you exclude the Baldwin? 



Mr. Hawley — For two or three reasons. It is not a sure bearer in this 

 country, and it is also very subject to bitter rot. It does not command 

 the price on the market tliat the Greening does, or the King or the Spy, 

 the Mcintosh or the Grimes Golden. 



A Member — I would like to have Mr. Hawley explain his method of 

 packing. . 



President Farrand — That is a good question, and one that should have 

 more time than we give to it under this topic, and we will hold it over 

 until we have more time. If there is nothing further on this sub- 

 ject we will now take up the next one on the program, which is ''New 

 Varieties for Michigan," by F. A. Wilkin, of the South Haven Experi- 

 ment Station. He is to well known to you to need any formal introduc- 

 tion. 



NEW VARIETIES FOR ^IICHIGAN. 



F. A. WILKEN^ SOUTH HAVEN EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Mr. Chairman, Friends — The question of varieties of fruit has its 

 counterpart in the human family. Of the multitude who have lived 

 only a few make successes, so with the varieties, of the thousands exist- 

 ing only a few rise above the horizon of the common. Many are not 

 even heard of. 



Under the heading of this topic it is my duty to mention a few of the 

 newer successes that I have become acquainted with. 



When it comes to setting a fruit plantation the question of varieties 

 is generally the hardest to solve even for experienced men. Everyone 

 naturally wants those varieties that will do best in their particular 

 location. So I would advise caution in the extensive setting of new 

 varieties even though highly recommended. It is also highly important 

 to learn under what conditions various standard varieties do the best. 

 For instance, if the Jonathan almost reaches perfection in one locality 

 it is not essentially so that it do so in yours. The Keifl'er has its friends 

 and enemies, probably more enemies than friends. However, I know of 

 some locations where the Keiffer grows into a very respectable pear. 



