238 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Alexander or Hale's Early type (and let me say right here, in the pres- 

 ence of this community, so help me Bob, I am not responsible for that 

 Hale's Early peach !j, but with the advent of Triumph I am ready ta 

 plant early peaches. 



A Member: How about Greensboro? 



Mr. Hale: Greensboro is another early peach, originating in North 

 Carolina. It is an early one, a little later than Triumph, between Tri- 

 umph and Early Rivers. It is of medium and large size, a white-flesh, 

 peach with red cheek, semi-cling, with a little bit of green at the pit. 

 It is one of the most showy of the early peaches. It is poor; I would 

 not give it to my mother-in-law, as much as I think of her, and still 

 it is a very good-looker. 



The President: Is that one of the Chinese type, has it the Chinese 

 mixture in it? 



Mr. Hale: I hardly think it has. 



A Member: I would like to hear about Foster and Wager. 



Mr. Stearns: I know nothing of Wager, and I described Foster some 

 years ago as not being profitable with us on the lake shore. While 

 I am on my feet I will just drop a word of caution in regard to Elberta. 

 It was the finest I grew this year, in appearance, but I have gone 

 carefully on it, as I was disappointed very much in ^Vheatland and 

 some others of that class, and shall only plant lightly of it until it 

 is fruited more in this state; and this word of caution w^as in regard 

 to an orchard about a mile from my own. Two years ago this sea- 

 son it bore an immense crop of very fine peaches, so much so that 

 one or two nurserymen went there and budded very heavily from that 

 orchard. A year ago this summer there was not a peach on it, while 

 it was a good peach season. This year, I understand, it had a fair 

 crop. That is the fear I have had in regard to Elberta, that it might 

 not be a reliable bearer, but be something like AVheatland and Foster,, 

 on the lake shore. Foster is not reliable with us on the lake shore. 



Mr. Hale: I do not wish to intrude nor take time, bilt I wish to 

 say, with Mr. Stearns, do not attempt to grow Foster in localities 

 where you can not grow the Crawford class. That is right. But do 

 not confuse Elberta with any of that tyi)e. It belongs to an entirely 

 different family, a different race of peach. Crawford and Foster, and 

 all those, are of a Persian strain of peach, while Elberta. comes from 

 the northern China family, which is entirely different in its habits 

 of growth and habits of bearing. I do not think you need have any 

 general fear of Elberta not bearing enough. It Avill till your market 

 so full you will wish there was not so many of them, perhaps. The 

 only doubt I have in my mind about its growing through the north- 

 ern sections of the country is its lack of color in many places. It 

 becomes a lemon yellow, and the rosy cheek does not come upon it 

 jn many sections of our northern tier of states. That is particularly 

 noticeable in Delaware, has been so in some ])ortions of New Jersey,^ 

 through New York state, Ontario, and with us in Connecticut and 

 Massachusetts. I do not know about it here in ,Mi<*higan, but that is 

 the one weak point I have seen in Elbcnta through the northern part 

 of the country; but it will grow enough, it will bear enough, and it 

 will carry well. 



