538 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At the meeting of Feb. 13, 1891. Mr. Moeeil read this paper on "New 

 Fruits." 



This subject is one of more than passing importance, as the progressive fruitgrower of 

 today knows very well that the only way to make any money at the business is to keep 

 at the front in all matters pertaining to his business, and one of the most perplexing of 

 our problems is to discover the real merits of any new variety soon enough to reap the 

 benefits from growing it, if it is any improvement over old standard varieties, before 

 everybody else has it; or, in case of loudly advertised varieties that have no advantage 

 overr old varieties, to let them alone. The man who can determine these matters cor- 

 rectly before the fruits are in general cultivation, can make a fortune growing fruit; but 

 the obstacles in the way of gaining such reliable information are so numerous as to 

 make the business largely experimental, even among the bett informed. Consequently, 

 when we give our experience, it must not be considered positive evidence of value for 

 all, as the difference in soils, location, treatment, etc., may make all the difference 

 between success and failure. In short, the only positively reliable information you can 

 get is to test them yourself on your own land and in your own manner. 



In discussing the merits of the new varieties I shall name some that are very promis- 

 ing in other hands but have never been tested here. First in order, perhaps, comes the 

 apple. Among the new things offered, the most prominent is the Yellow Transparent, a 

 beautiful early apple, which is fully described by its name. It is earlier than the Early 

 Harvest, very hardy and productive, and should be profitable here. 



In pears it is very doubtful if we have any new varieties more profitable or reliable than 

 the old Bartlett, Clapp's Favorite, and Anjou. The Kieffer has had a great boom, but 

 so far it has been on its merits when grown several hundred miles south of here, where 

 it has certainly done well; but our seasons seem to be too short for its full development. 

 Consequently I consider it of doubtful value here. The Garber is another candidate for 

 favor, of the same type, but said to be much better in quality and some four weeks 

 earlier, equally as productive, and free from blight. If these claims are sustained it is 

 a good variety to plant. The newest variety is the Idaho, for which every good quality 

 is claimed. It is supposed to be a seedling of the Bartlett, of high quality and great 

 productiveness; but a man would need a good bank account to set many trees now. The 

 new early pear, Wilder, is receiving high praise, and may be a good thing where early 

 pears are wanted. It is at least desirable to test all the above varieties in a small way. 



Next in order we will take the peach. In this class candidates are plentiful, and I 

 suppose most of them have some merit, but for us there are but few needed, as there is 

 some very reliable old sorts to which we can add some of the race of hardy seedlings 

 which has sprung up on this lake shore, among which we will name Brown's Early, 

 Lewis, Crane's Early Yellow [St. John, really an old variety], and Gold Drop. These all 

 have great value on account of their extreme hadiness and great producti veness, 

 besides coming into bearing earlier than any of the old standards. Our greatest need 

 has been for a peach to take the place of the Crawfords. For this position there have 

 been several candidates, but so far all have developed some weakness; but in the Elberta 

 we have one which bids fair to fill the requirements, being very hardy, a good shipper, 

 and even more satisfactory on the market than Crawford. 



In the line of small fruit I do not think we have any new varieties of blackberry 

 that can equal the Early Harvest, Wilson, and Lawton for a full succession. Of the red 

 raspberry we have no thoroughly satisfactory variety, new or old, and are not much 

 better off in black-caps. Still, there is more progress making in them than in the reds. 

 I have tested the Palmer and am very favorably impressed with its value as an early, 

 heavy-cropping variety. 



la strawberries the new varieties are endless. Our standard for years has been the 

 Crescent and Sharpless, and by them we measure the new things. After testing some- 

 thing like a hundred of them, I will describe a few that seem to have special merit. 

 Bubach seems to do well everywhere, averages larger than Sharpless, will yield twice as 

 much, easily; of very good form, too soft for long shipments; bloom, pistillate; very late 

 in pushing up buds, thereby escaping frost, but ripens quite early. Warfield is the 

 champion market berry at present. It is a pistillate variety, more productive than 

 Crescent, much larger flower, like the old Wilson, very perfect form; fruits look as if 

 they were varnished, and will ship further than any other variety we have, but must 

 positively be kept in very narrow rows or hills or it will prove worthless. Haverland is 

 also a very desirable pistillate variety, but has one serious fault, that of pushing its 

 fruit stems out along the ground; and if not miriched, fruit will all lie on the ground. 



Michel's Early has not been so well tested here, but pronounced by growers where it 

 is grown the best thing introduced for years. Staminate bloom, resists frost perfectly, 

 ripens a week or more ahead of the Crescent, is very productive of large, firm, heart- 



