THE JANUA.RY MEETING. S41 



farm implements or live stock. Establish a scale of points, a standard of excel- 

 lence, and be guided by this standard in selecting fruits for the various pur- 

 poses needed. In recommending lists of varieties for cultivation in diiferent 

 parts of the State, I am aware of the dffiiculty to be overcome in agreeing upon 

 a scale of values for the different qualities of both fruit and tree to be used in 

 determining their value for the various purposes they are needed. We can, at 

 least, decide upon the approximate value of the different points of excellence, 

 and introduce the beginning of an important work that may be more com- 

 pletely perfected in the future. I would suggest for consideration the follow- 

 ing estimate of the value of qualities for market purposes: 



Hardiness and vigor of tree 20 



Productiveness and uniform bearing 20 



Quality of fruit _ .20 



Keeping qualities, whether summer, autumn, or winter varieties, and fitness 



for handling 20 



Size and appearance of fruit 10 



Adaptation to the greatest variety of soils and condition of climate 10 



100 

 Varieties disposed to drop a large portion of their fruit before maturity 

 would be objectionable to some extent. 



Very respectfully, 



MYRON H. NORTON. 



EXCURSION TO THE COLLEGE. 



President Abbott was introduced, and stated that he had ordered the Agri- 

 cultural College teams sent down in the afternoon to take out such members of 

 the Society as would like to visit that institution. He said that there had been 

 some complaint that the Agricultural College had not done more for pomology. 

 He explained at length the financial straits in which the College had been kept 

 for years, and stated that they had never, until now, seen their way to the com- 

 mencement of any work in this direction. This year they had included in 

 their estimates sums for this work, and if the Legislature would make the 

 appropriations recommended a beginning would be made. The faculty had 

 always felt interested in this Society, and had made sacrifices to allow some of 

 their number to attend. 



The President stated also, referring to the value of the College to the agricult- 

 ural interests, that more than one-half its graduates manage farms and nearly 

 one-half have farming as their sole support. One is a clergyman, but is chair- 

 man of a farmer's club which has a weekly attendance of over 200 members. 

 The cordial invitation of the President was accepted with enthusiasm. 



A letter from the Meteorologist of the Society, Mr. W. K. Kedzie, was read, 

 promising a full report in a short time, to which President Abbott added a few 

 remarks showing the minuteness and extent to which they had gone at the 

 College in the keeping of meteorological records and statistics, a practice he 

 was sure would be very beneficial, and its results highly jprized in the future as 

 they are even now. 



THE PEACH BUDS. 



A letter was read from Jacob Ganzhorn, who had examined the Early Craw- 

 ford and Early Barnard peach trees all along the lake shore and had found 

 31 



