FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 69 



the fruit. As the plantation gets old you will not have as good fruit 

 as on the new plantations; you can mix them together. I have had 

 no particular experience in varieties. I have tried several varieties but 

 one year one kind will be best and the next year something else will be 

 best. Possibly Plumb Parmer is the best variety of black raspberry. 



Sweet cherries have not been a profitable fruit with me. At present 

 I have only five or six trees and the sweet cherry crop in Central Michi- 

 gan has been an absolute failure. We are keeping these for our own 

 use and for the birds — mostly for the birds, as they will probably get 

 about nine-tenths of them before the fruit is fit to be used. As there 

 are not many cherries grown in my section, the birds will sometimes 

 strip whole trees before they are fit to put on the market. Sour cherries 

 have been very profitable, INIontmorency being by far the best variety. 



The grape proposition with us is one that we do not want to go into 

 very heavy with our market. Variety makes a lot of difference. I did 

 not know this when I planted mine and I find among the standards 

 that the Moore's Early and the Concords are the best, Moore's being 

 the best; at least they do best in the climate in my section. These varie- 

 ties come early and for this reason bring good prices and have been 

 very profitable for me. The Delawares have not been profitable with 

 me. 



In planting apples I was fortunate enough to have the kind that 

 brought the highest market price this year — the Jonathan. I happened 

 to have, also, some Mcintosh Eeds. They were ordered for Duchess 

 and through a good mistake, the nurseryman gave me the others. I 

 did not know this for four or five years, but am very glad as they are 

 splendid bearers and there is a good demand for them. Having the 

 Jonathan with them^ — another high class apple — I have been able, of 

 course, to get good prices. I also have some Baldwins and other apples 

 and am interested quite heavily in other propositions aside from my own 

 farm where we have several varieties of apples and they are put in 

 storage. I would rather have my apple orchard than all the other kinds 

 of fruit that I have ever grown on my farm. 



I also have a peach orchard. Did not have a peach last year. It was 

 too warm during November and December a year ago, starting the buds. 

 Until then the orchards had been vei*y profitable — located in Central 

 Michigan where they told me I could not grow peaches. I have had 

 two splendid crops in seven years and local conditions have been such 

 that I got the highest market price. There are no other peaclies grown 

 in this particular section. The growing of peaches in this section should 

 only be attempted by those familiar with every phase of the question 

 and the very best of location. 



During my experience I have carefully watched the climatic and mar 

 ket conditions in my vicinity and as soon as I found that one particular 

 kind or variety of fruit was not profitable to me. I dropped that and 

 took up something else or stuck to the things that I knew did pay, 

 I have had no further experience that might be profitable and have done 

 nothing that anyone else would not do in starting out in a new terri- 

 tory. My success was a matter of necessity rather than ability, I shall 

 be glad to answer any questions upon this topic that I have not touched 

 upon. 



