PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 373 



The best five plums f 



The President: Judge Russell, you can name them. If you can not we 

 will find a man who will. 



Judge Russell : Well, I have best had success with this late blue plum, 

 the Gueii. It sells well. I should take Winter Damson, Shropshire 

 Damson, Bavay's Green Gage, Lombard, and Grand Duke. 



The President: How does that agree with your ideas, Mr. Gebhardt? 



Mr. Gebhardt: Well, I don't know. To call out five of the best 

 varieties, I should commence with Black Diamond, in my past year's 

 experience, as the standard of about two hundred varieties; next I 

 should select Monarch, French Damson, Stanton, and perhaps Burbank 

 to make five. I believe they are as good as we can get today. 



The President: Judge Russell has mentioned old, well-tried varieties, 

 while Mr. Gebhardt has mentioned two that are practically on trial, 

 Black Diamond and Grand Duke, and not very promising. 



Mr. Gebhardt: I did not include Grand Duke. But I have fruited 

 it about five years and I am perfectly well satisfied with it. 



The President: This is on trial, and that is only in Oceana county. It 

 has not any general reputation. 



Mr. Gebhardt: Black Diamond has been fruited a good many years. 



What are the best five peaches f 



The President: I know what has done best for me, taking my own 

 locality, but people in Oceana county and people in Kent county may not 

 agree with me. I would name in the order of ripening, for my purposes, 

 either Early Michigan or Lewis for the first; for the next I would name 

 St. John; for the third, Kalamazoo; for the fourth, Elberta, and 

 if you will allow me to put in a variety that is on experiment yet, I 

 would put right there Fitzgerald as likely to beat anything in its season. 

 That makes five. 



A ^lember: Wouldn't you start with Triumph? 



The President: I would not start with Triumph until I knew more 

 about it. Mr. Graham, what would you name as the five best varieties 

 of peach for Kent county? Name them in the order of their ripening as 

 nearly as you can. I suppose this has refei-ence to them as a money crop, 

 year in and year out. 



Mr. Graham: I do not think I should want to i>lant anything earlier 

 than Early Crawford. 



A Member: Would (liat be one of the varieties? 



Mr. Graham: I should plant some Early Crawfords in Kent county, 

 a good lot of them; following that I would plant Engle; I would also plant 

 Branson, Elberta, and one later variety (han that — perhaps Smock. I 

 have only nauKHl standard varieties. 



The President: Judge Russell, what would you say for Oceana 

 county? 



Judge Russell: Early Michigan, Lewis. St. John, Kalamazoo, Elberta, 

 and jierhajis Stevens Rarei-ipe. 



The President : \ u\\ will see by these three lists, with the same char- 

 acter of soil, and so far as its i-elation to lake Michigan is concerned, 

 that, while we are more than a liundred miles apart, -Fudge Russell and 



