Aiinual Meeting at St. Joseph. 153 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STONE FRUIT. 



BY J. M. PRETZINGER, CLINTON, MO. 



Mr. President, officers and members : As I am one of the 

 committee on stone fruit, I will try and give you the condition of 

 it in my section. The peach trees are in a better condition now 

 than I expected they would be with so much cold last winter, 

 young trees from one to eight years old are in splendid condition, 

 older trees that were topped are in good fix, but of the old trees 

 not topped many are dead, some partly dead, while some of them 

 are in good condition. By appearances now young and old are in 

 good condition to go into winter quarters, and promise a good crop 

 next year, if again something does not befall them as this year. 

 There was not a peach in all this country that grew around about 

 here, or I have not seen any m Missouri. In all my travels I see 

 plenty in Arkansas. More young peach trees planted this year 

 than usual. Apricot and nectarines nearly all winter killed. 

 Cherry and plum trees are in good fix. 



As to other points regarding this subject of stone fruit it has 

 so often been considered that it is with reluctance that I venture to 

 enlist your attention on stone fruit, as I can but feel there are 

 others in this society that are much more capable to handle this 

 subject than I am. I may not furnish anything new for all of 

 you, 1 may for the unexperienced ones, I will give you my con- 

 clusions which have been reached through my experience and 

 observation. Several points on this subject have been forcibly 

 brought to my mind. Part in time gone by, when I started in to 

 grow peach, plum and sour cherry, in connection with my apple 

 orchard of 4.000 trees, 700 each, 600 plum, sour cherry and pear, 

 &c. ; you will see by this I am interested in fruits. I have had 

 some failures in my experience, yet I have been very successful 

 in getting paying returns for my stone fruit. The peach raising 

 pays well when we get a crop every second or third year. It is 

 hardly necessary here to say how the young trees are budded and 

 grown as they can be bought of all nursery men. One year olds 

 are the best. 



To plant a peach orchard for market and family use, selection 

 should be made from the earliest to the latest. They should be as 

 much as possible, freestone for market, as they command a much 



