MICHIGAN STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 439 



I may as well close this subject of pruning by saying, that 

 •when you cut a tree you should be able to give a reason for 

 cutting at all, and also for cutting at that particular '^oint. 



OF VARIETIES. 



My experience is not very extensive, especially with the 

 newer ones. Of the Hall's Early, my observation leads me to 

 conclude that the tree is hardy and productive, and the fruit 

 of good flavor, when ripe; but that it is only fit for home use, 

 as to bear any carriage it must be picked before ripe, which 

 renders it nearly worthless to a connoisseur. 



The Yellow Rareripe is the next in ripening; with me is very 

 sure in bearing. Trees healthy, but rather dwarfish, flavor fair^ 

 size medium, bears carriage, and I know of no peach, ripening 

 at the time, that I prefer. 



I allude to the peach of this name as described by Downing. 



The Serrate Early York is a beautiful fruit, of fine flavor, 

 but the tree, with me, liable to mildew, and consequent barren- 

 ness; for this reason I discard it. 



I would say of George Fourth, that there is no peach of 

 finer flavor, but it makes a gigantic tree of great pretensions, 

 but little fruit. I had concluded to discard it, but it has par- 

 tially won my favor the past season, when some varieties have 

 so overborne, (the Crawford's Early in particular,) as to render 

 the fruit nearly worthless. My home customers have preferred 

 this to all others of its season, this year. 



The Honest John. — By this I mean the peach known by 

 that name at St. Joseph, and not the one mentioned by Down- 

 ing, — a yellow-fleshed, medium-sized fruit, with a very small 

 pit, and ripening just before Crawford's Early. It has a good 

 bearing reputation at St. Joseph ; but my seven trees, planted 

 in 1862, have borne only in 18u8 and 1871 ; i)ut when they do 

 bear, " they bear to kill;" that is to say, no amount of propping 

 the trees will prevent their breaking, and they come out the 

 following spring like a waning consumptive. Thinning the 

 fruit (which I have never yet done) may remedy the partial 



