150 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



best results from the seed of Rogers' Hybrids. Mr. Engle had on exhibition 

 eleven distinct varieties of grape grown from seed, some of which possess real 

 merit. They had been kept in paper bags and were in an excellent state of 

 preservation. Several grape growers who were present tasted the grapes and 

 pronounced them all of fair qutilityand some of them really fine. Mr. Engle 

 has not named these grapes and will not until he has fully tested therfl all 

 and is ready to place them on the market. 

 Adjourned until one' o'clock P. M. 



Thursday Afternoon Session. * 



The first thing on the programme was a paper by Mr. C. Engle, of Paw Paw,, 

 on 



VALUE OF PEDIGREE IN FRUITS. 



It is with great diffidence that I produce for the public a paper upon this 

 subject about which so little is generally, and I may say positively, known ; 

 and yet I am a thorough believer in pedigree for fruits, as much so as for 

 horses, cattle, or sheep. Perhaps I could do no better than to give you my 

 experience, that you may judge wliether I havejust reason for the faith that is 

 within me. Twenty years ago I began planting pits and seeds to raise my own 

 nursery stock. The pits (peach) were mostly from Crawford's Early peaches. 

 When budding time came I noticed a good many of the seedlings had the gen- 

 eral stocky growth and peculiar yellowish green foliage of the Crawford Early. 

 Some of them, about twenty, I set in the orchard without budding. When 

 they came to bear, every one of them bore fully as fine fruit, for aught I could 

 see, as the budded trees, and some of them I thought a little superior. They 

 did not ripen all at the same season. Some were a week or ten days behind, 

 none ahead, of the true Crawford's Early, but all had the same general char- 

 acter of the parent fruit, large size, high color, and rich, yellow flesh. I was 

 so well pleased with the result that I planted a lot more of the same kind to 

 set in the orchard without budding; and also a lot of Hill's Chili and Bar- 

 nard pits and some Concord and Delaware grape seed. At one year old I set 

 in the orchard 500 of each variety of the seedling peaches. In the not very 

 elegant but expressive vernacular of the day, I did not "get left" on a single 

 tree of the Crawford's Early. All wire good aud two I thought worthy of a 

 name, and so called them respectively President Lyon and Golden Beauty. 

 The former Avas about one-fourth larger, higher colored, and in my judgment 

 better in quality than its parent, ripening at the same time; but unfortu- 

 nately it proved quite tender in the bud. The latter has only this to recom- 

 mend it above its parent: it sets more buds, nearly double, and they stand 

 more freezing. 



Among the Barnards there were but few variations — three, I think; and 

 yellow Honest John was one of them. With thr^e exceptions all were true 

 Barnards in appearance. Aud so with Hill's Chili. But few and slight 

 variations were noticeable. A lot of Hale's Early pits planted at the same 

 time proved equally satisfactory. All were as good in quality as the Hale, 

 some of them much belter. The greater proportion ripened with theHale, 



