16 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



a failure. No new varieties have shown up unless it be the Eaton for 

 home and local market uses. It is a very large berry that crumbles 

 easily and gets red long before it is ripe. It would fool many who do 

 not know this. It ripens fruit through almost the entire red raspberry 

 season, starting with the early ones and still ripening berries with the 

 late ones. Not being firm it will not do for general market purposes. 



In the blackberry line there are several new varieties of promise. 

 Rathbun has probably i>roved most promising of all. It resembles Wil- 

 son in appearance and season of ripening. It is a good grower and is 

 very productive, many years bearing more than any other variety. It 

 is better than the Wilson in that it is more hardy and does not need 

 covering during the winter, at least in the southern part of the State. 

 It should take the place of that variety. Other new varieties, Mersereau, 

 Blowers and Ward are all medium to late kinds. Blowers and Mer- 

 sereau are both very hardy and bear well of large, handsome fruit. For 

 the southern parts of the State the "W'lard is better than either of the 

 above mentioned varieties as the fruit is of better quality and size. 



The Himalaya blackberry has received some advertising in the last few 

 years. It is a variety groAvn by Luther Burbank from some seed sent 

 him by a friend from the Himalaya mountains. It is a very rampant 

 and coarse grower, outgrowing anything I know of in blackberry line. 

 The growth is very spreading and for cultural purposes it would have 

 to be grown on trellises. The fruit ripens very late and is small and ill 

 shaped. It is of poor quality and has a hard core. It is very hardy 

 and may grow where no other variety Avill. Only in such places should 

 it receive any consideration. 



We have tried out nothing new in cherries that is of any value. I 

 would prefer Montmorency to any other sour kind. Windsor, Napoleon 

 and Schmidt's Bigarreau for sweet kinds, and Olivet and Montruel for 

 dukes. 



Nothing new in plums has developed recently. Monarch and Shrop 

 shire Damson are my favorites for commercial purposes. Coe's Golden 

 should receive more consideration from those wishing a yellow kind. 



The '06 freeze set us back in testing out new varieties of peaches. 

 Already we find New Prolific in the standard list and Banner gaining 

 prominence. Gold Mine is a favorite of many. Of the newer kinds that 

 started bearing for the first time this year with us the Maj'flower looked 

 most promising. It is a very early variety, ripening about the middle 

 of July. It is a large, well colored fruit, and it is likely to take a place 

 in the list of early varieties. 



We have nothing new in pears except Garber and LeConte. These are 

 both relatives of the Keifl'er and will probably not gain much prominence 

 as the Keitfer will satisfy all of its friends. Both are better looking 

 fruits but are not as productive and lU'oductiveuess is the best feature 

 of the Keifl'er. 



There are a few new varieties of apples that are worthy of considera- 

 tion. Akin is a bright red apple of medium size that is not good eating 

 until after the holidays and then it is fine. The tree is thrifty and is 

 productive biennially. It is a good variety for fancy dessert trade. 



Dudley is a good fall variety, rijjening about the fiist of September. 

 It is a hardy, productive variety with large, striped fruit. It is a seed- 

 ling of the Duchess. It is larger and later than the Duchess and not 



