192 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A. There are a good many particulars to be considered in regard to 

 that. I think I have understood that you have spolien of varieties that 

 have to meet the competition of southern fruit. But that depends, I pre- 

 sume, upon the locality. Some markets would feel that influence more 

 than others. 



Mr. Post wishes to know how Early Michigan compares with Lewis. 



A. That is a pretty close question. I have grown the two for a good 

 many years, under the same treatment, and I have learned from my own 

 observation, and also from those who have propagated the trees, that 

 there are two varieties grown under the name of Early Michigan. 

 A few days' difference, perhaps, in the season of ripening constitutes 

 the variation. The one that is generally grown as Early Michi- 

 gan has reniform glan<is,the other globose. They are certainly very much 

 alike. I hardly know which to put first; I think perhaps the reniform 

 will ripen three or four days earlier. I think Early Michigan is slightly 

 superior in quality to Lewis. As to size and appearance, under the same 

 conditions, I think there is very little difference. I don't know as there 

 is any choice between the trees, but they generally need severe thinning 

 to get the best results. I do not know of a better peach for late market- 

 ing than Stevens' Rareripe. We are a week later than we would be 

 thirty miles from the lake. Perhaps there is more than that difference 

 between the west shore and here. I have received two or three varieties 

 from Texas that seem likely to prove desirable here, though they are too 

 recent yet with us to speak of them with any kind of confidence, and par- 

 ticularly of their productiveness. I have the same difficulty that nearly 

 all of us have to meet, from the fact that I have a great many varieties 

 that are spurious, and the more recent ones not having been described, it 

 is impossible to tell which is real and which is spurious. I have two vari- 

 eties called Muir, and one is a very large and fine peach; and if any 

 one is desirous of testing Muir, I would suggest it as a very promis- 

 ing variety for the market as well as home use. 



Q. Will you speak of Kalamazoo, Barber, and Fitzgerald? 



A. I am not acquainted with those — with Fitzgerald. Barber stands 

 in the medium list, between the best and poorest. It is a very 

 fair peach, of fine quality and appearance, for a market peach. 

 When I say "fine market peach," I put a different meaning on the 

 word "fine" than when I speak of home use. There are many varie- 

 ties excellent in quality and delicate in flavor and texture, for home 

 use, but they can not be gotten to the market. There are those that lack 

 the delicacy but which go well to market. So when I speak of a superior 

 market variety, I do not speak as I would of home varieties. Kala- 

 mazoo originated, as betokened by its name, not far from us. The seed- 

 ling was originally brought to notice by Mr. Stearns, and has become 

 very popular with us, as a market peach. Any one starting it, and wish- 

 ing to get good prices, and make it do its best, will need to thin it almost 

 always, and when well thinned and brought up to good size it is a very 

 satisfactory market peach with us. I do not know that it has been 

 tested sufficiently so that this can be said of it generally, though I appre- 

 hend that it is likely to succeed quite generally. Gold Drop is very sim- 

 ilar, only with this difference: W3 do not know what Gold Drop is, 

 whether it is a new peach or an old one renamed. 



Q. How does Early Michigan compare with the Mountain Rose? 



