54 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sixteen trees of a variety that fruited soon after Alexander; it was a large 

 peach with a rosy cheek, and of excellent quality, and he does not know 

 where it originated nor how it came on his place. Its flesh was of a 

 cream color and of excellent quality. 



Mr. Morrill: You say it ripens ahead of Michigan? 



A. Yes, right after Alexander. It is very large. 



Mr. Morrill : Are they some known variety? 



A. They were bought for Early Michigan, but are not. They are far 

 out of that season; they are good shippers, do not spot, and look well. 



Mr. Morrill: You are describing Early Canada quite well. 



Q. Is Early Canada a freestone? 



Mr. Morrill: Yes, quite free. 



A Member: The peach Mr. Davison speaks of came with Early Mich- 

 igan. I set them myself, and they have proved, as nearly as I can judge. 

 Early Michigan, only they are two weeks earlier. They are a fine peach, 

 and I set No. 16 the same year, quite a quantity of them. We have tried 

 them two years, and have Lewis the same age, and they seem a better 

 quality; they are of light cream color, while Lewis has a greenish-white 

 color, when it is fully ripe. The grain of the peach is finer and better and 

 the size more even. 



Mr. Barry: Will Early Canada grow as large as Mr. Davison says? 



Mr. Morrill: I have seen them of very nice size; they are good ship- 

 pers and profitable. The secretary has a clipping regarding Mr. Hale's 

 big Connecticut orchard which may be of value. Before he reads this, 

 I wish to call the attention of those who have these Keports, and who 

 are inclined to think that brown rot of the plum, cherry, and peach is 

 caused by curculio, to refer to page 303 and read the account of it there. 



The Secretary: This account of Mr. J, H. Hale's orchard in Con- 

 necticut was written by Mr. H. W. Collingwood of the Rural New-Yorker, 

 and followed his articles describing the Hale orchards in Georgia: 



The great Georgia orchard we have been talking about had its origin in Con- 

 necticut. The Rural New Yorker has told before now how Mr. Hale and his 

 brother were left when mere boys, at the father's death, on a debt-burdened farm, 

 without capital or experience. They saw clearly that success had only one latch- 

 key— ihat was to grow some new ci'op, and grow it well. There is an old peach 

 tree on the farm that is over sixty years old. That old tree showed these boys 

 that it was possible to grow good peaches in Connecticut, so they went to work 

 to fill in the skeleton of that possibility with work and study. They did it, and, 

 therefore, that great Georgia orchard may be said to have sprouted from this old 

 tree. 



Of coui-se, the conditions of culture and sale in Connecticut are different from 

 those at the south. The northern orchard is scattered, while in Geoi'gia the 

 peaches grow in one large block. Mr. Hale thinks the soil of the Georgia orchard 

 Is the stronger, while the northern fields are more hilly and stony. The cost of 

 throwing a tree to a profitable age in Connecticut is twice as much as in the 

 south. The fields are smaller, there are more stones and more hillsides to culti- 

 vate, labor is very much higher, and very much more fertilizer is used. The 

 advantages are that markets are much nearer, and transportation is so quickly 

 and cheaply carried on that the peaches may be left longer on the tree, and thus 

 command a higher price because of better appearance. 



"You told us how much cheaper the southern labor is," I said, "but is there 

 much saving in the fertilizer bill at the south?" 



"Well, you saw how little we have used down there. Up here, we use a ton or 

 more per acre of a mixture of bone and potash — three parts bone and one of 

 muriate. In fact, we do not mix them, but apply them separately. We have used 

 more or less cotton-hull ashes." 



