. REPORTS OF DISTRICT AND LOCAL SOCIETIES. 539 



chape berries of high flavor; grows stronger on light soil than any other variety; a good 

 pollenizer for any variety. Lady Rusk is of the Crescent type, very productive and 

 extraordinarily firm, but has the defect of bearing numerous split berries. Of the newer 

 varieties I am more than favorably impressed with the Crawford and Parker Earle, but 

 it will take another year's test to determine their value. 



Among red currants, the only new thing is the Fay, and so far I have never seen a 

 man who has made a success of growing it, although it has been a grand success as a 

 seller. 



The new black, Crandall, will hardly prove to be all that has been claimed for it, 

 and as a market variety I see nothing so far to recommend it. 



S. Cook: Have no trouble in ripening the Kieffer pear, but would not 

 set it when liable to early fall frosts. It is very hardy. If going to set 

 only three varieties of pear, one of them would be Kieffer. It grows as 

 large as the Bartlett. Le Conte is worthless. I would as lief have a turnip 

 to eat. The Kieffer is free from blight, is not so good as the Bartlett for 

 eating, but is the best for canning and is the strongest grower. It always 

 outsells all others, and keeps till the holidays. There is no money for us 

 in any early pears, because they come in competition with southern fruit. 



Mr. Pixley: The Kieffer is always of good size, if the tree is not over- 

 loaded. It has shown no appearance of blight. It has more character 

 and flavor for canning than any other variety. The Le Conte is not worth 

 cultivating in this country. 



In answer to questions Mr. Morkill said: Gandy strawberry is a good 

 late berry, but not very prolific, and a good proportion of them are " but- 

 tony." I suspect that Lovett's Early is Michel's Early. 



Mr. Cook: The Bubach is a fine berry and a good bearer, but makes 

 but few plants. The Gandy is a fine, large, late, firm berry, and sells well, 

 but does not bear well. 



Mr. Morrill: The Jessie needs a location free from frost. It sells 

 better than any other berry, being 25 cents per crate ahead of anything 

 else with me. 



Orin Brown: I got the Jessie from Chas. Green. It is a poor bearer 

 on clay loam. The first few pickings were nice, after that it ran small, 



Mr. Morrill: Bubach is late in blooming and escapes the frost, but is 

 not firm enough. Sharplees and Jessie both kill in the b id on my land. 

 Jessie outyields Sharpless. As I saw the Gold Drop peach at South 

 Haven, it overbears if not thinned. It is hardy. When thinned it is 

 about as large as Crawford. 



S. Cook: If Barnard is thinned it grows large. 



Mr. Conley: I think that Gold Drop has more credit than it deserves. 

 Do not rely too much upon it. The Kalamazoo is very nice, but spots 

 badly. 



Mr. Morrill: I would not set the Gandy. Louise is a soft berry, 

 quite large, bruises easily, not a good carrier, subject to blight. Pearl is 

 fine, but subject to blight. Cloud is not very valuable, soft, depressed 

 seed, nothing desirable in it. It makes very many plants. I wish you 

 would keep watch of the Parker Earle. I think it is an excellent berry. 



Mr. Judson: I have a few plants of Thompson's Early Red raspberry. 

 It is rather small; does not bear extra well. 



Mr. Mead asked about using salt about pear trees. He had used it and 

 had not had any blight, but does not know that it was the salt that kept 

 the disease off. He used about a peck to the tree. 



O. Brown: I have four pear trees on my place which grew well and 

 bore heavily until about ten years old, when they commenced blightifig. 



