324 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Louise Bonne: — A popular, medium large variety ripening earl}' in 

 October. Oblong, pyriform in shape. Color gi'eenish-yellow with a red- 

 dish-brown check. Quality good. Productive. Can be grown to ad- 

 vantage on dwarf stock. Valuable for market and dessert. 



Osband : — A medium-sized pear of very good color and quality. Pyri- 

 form in shape. The tree is fairly vigorous and fairly productive. The 

 fruit loses its quality soon after ripening. Good for dessert and early 

 market. Ripens during the second v/eek in August. 



Eosticzer: — A rather small and unattractive jjear of a dull greenish- 

 yellow color with a dull, reddish-brown cheek, but the quality is of the 

 very best. Ripens during the third week in August. Thrift}' and pro- 

 ductive. Valuable for dessert purposes. 



Meckel: — Tree vigorous and symmetrical. Fruit small but of the best 

 of quality. Very productive. Brings highest prices. One of the best 

 for pickling. Tree is somewhat slow in growing. Very valuable for 

 culinary, dessert and nmrket purposes. Ripens early in October. Does 

 best in rich soil. 



Sheldon :— A medium-sized, roundish pear of good quality, ripening 

 during the latter part of September. Color greenish-yellow, mostly 

 covered Avith a light russet. Tree vigorous but only fairly productive. 

 Very good for pickling. 



Souvenir {du Congres) : — Very large; in flavor and color similar to 

 Bartlett. Ripens about the middle of September. The tree is vigorous, 

 thrifty and productive. Somewhat variable, sometimes coarse. Its 

 size, color and productiveness make it valuable for market. 



Tyson: — Fruit medium small and of unattractive color but of very 

 good quality. Similar to Rostiezer except that it is a little larger and 

 ripens a little later. Good for dessert. Very late in coming into bear- 

 ing. 



Winter Xelis: — A popular winter variety of medium size and very 

 good quality. The tree is a thrifty and somewhat straggling grower. 

 Productive. Color greenish-yellow, well covered with russet. Valuable 

 for dessert and market. 



APPLKS. 



During the past season the various tests of api)les have been quite 

 satisfactory except that the fruit of the winter kinds upon the trees at 

 the time of the freeze, October 10th, was destroyed. The trees for the 

 most part have made a good growth, except in some cases where it was 

 checked by the drought. As llie trees in the north blocks were beginning 

 to crowd, they have been thinned, by the removal of the least valuable 

 kinds, so as to stand about two rods each way. In the south-east block 

 the experiment of holding the trees back by ])runing in June so they can 

 be grown as dwarf standards at tlie distance of one rod square has been 

 couliuued with good satisfaction. The trees, as a rule, have bcM2u quite 

 7>roductive and as the orchard contains four times as many as would 

 be found if i>l:inted two rods each way, the total crop obtained has 

 been considerabk; larger than would have been secured had the trees 

 been planted at the usual distances. The following varieties have given 

 eatisfactlon : Yellow Transparent, Oldenburg (Duchess), Chenango, 

 Shiawassee, Mcintosh, Maiden Blush, Wealthy, Jonathan, Grime* 



