194 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



especially in the last few years. So far as I know, it has perhaps the 

 highest color of any of the peaches of its season. The red is of a very 

 dark and distinct color, and in size it is far above medium. It will 

 average in size, if fairly well thinned, with Crawford as generally 

 grown — not so good as Crawfords may be. But this year, on a tree 

 which produced two bushels (set out in 1891), the fruit was as large as 

 the average Crawfords on the market; the quality was fair — not, to be 

 sure, very high, but it was good, and as the peach of its season, coming 

 along the last of September, I esteem it very highly. 



Mr. Morrill: Does it respond to thinning like Barnard? 



A. It had two bushels, and the peaches were 2^ inches in diameter. 

 It was thinned somewhat, but not much. This same lot of trees bore 

 last year and this year. 



Mr. Greening: Will the Professor please tell us what he thinks of 

 Prolific? 



Prof. Taft: I have the trees growing and I have seen the fruit, and I 

 think it is a promising peach. It is like Kalamazoo and Bronsou; 

 they are all good peaches. 



Mr. Allis: I would like to know if there is danger of injuring the 

 peach tree by putting earth around the body? 



Mr. Post: I never saw injury resulting. I leave it until the middle of 

 June, on account of catching borers' eggs on the surface, and I have 

 never seen any damage. 



Mr. Williams: If a young peach tree had made a late growth, and you 

 were fearful that it would winter-kill, would you advise cutting it back 

 in the fall, on the theory that it is better to cut than have it freeze off, or 

 would it be as well to leave it until spring? 



Mr. Post: So far as I am concerned, though it is merely my opinion, 

 it would make no difference. My experience would be that, if it were 

 cut off, it should be done early in the season ; if it were late in the fall 1 

 would let it alone. 



Mr. Helme: I had a little experience in that matter. I started somo 

 peach trees on very rich ground and they made three to four feet of 

 growth each year and then they killed back in the winter. It occurred to 

 me it might be a good idea to cut them back during September, as it 

 would assist in ripening the wood. I did so, on the 10th of September, 

 and found it a success. 



Mr. Morrill: Supposing a tree had grown all through the season, 

 would cutting back save it? 



Mr. Helme: I thought that was what you meant, but I do think there 

 is a good deal in cutting back in September or earlier, and it has been 

 impressed upon me. I bud entirely from bearing trees, taking a selection 

 of trees that are marked through the orchard, the best, and I go to 

 these trees, one year after another, and cut off the growth in September, 

 and those trees have improved wonderfully over other trees; and the 

 conclusion has been forced upon me that the cutting back of growth in 

 August or September was desirable. The buds are stronger and mature 

 better, and even where there are but two inches or so of the annual 

 growth left, I find the srongest buds and best peaches. 



Mr. Williams : I want to call attention to this theory, to see whether 

 any of you have had experience along that line. Growers of sweet 

 potatoes, if they find the vines have been bitten by frost, cut the vines 



