ANNUAL MEETING AT LEXINGTON. 235 



orchard trees six years old are almost destroyed. Fruit grown this 

 season on top grafts was about size of Bartlett ; quality hardly so good 

 but with less musky flavor. Alexiiuder Lucas not yet fruited; orchard 

 trees two years planted show it to be a moderate grower, and of aver- 

 age hardiness ; said on the best authority to be both good and large, 

 often six inches long and 15 inches in circumference, and to have a 

 high character in Belgium. Garber's Hybrid is an unusually strong and 

 vigorous grower, of great hardiness; not yet fruited; think it to be a 

 tardy bearer. Mikado is another strong grower with decided sand pear 

 characteristics ; fruit well nigh worthless. Miller's Victor, or Ticker, 

 was received from Judge S. Miller who says it originated in Chester 

 county, Pa., some 30 years ago, and is one of those good things some- 

 times left in the dark. It was new to Chas. Downing and others to 

 whom he had sent fruit, but all were highly pleased with it. With Mr. 

 Miller it bears fine crops and is among the very best ; large, regular, 

 pyriform, shining yellow, rich, sweet and melting, ripening early in Sep- 

 tember. We find it to be a very strong grower, resembling Bartlett in 

 ■color of wood, less upright, but by no means spreading ; foliage, dark, 

 glossy. Entirely distinct from Yicar of Winkfield to which the name 

 bears an unfortunate resemblance. The Kussian varieties introduced 

 by Prof. Budd, generally have thick firm leaves and 'will doubtless 

 endure our hot summers. They are hardy of course, and it is to be 

 hoped they will prove worthy. And now we are j^robably about to 

 strike a rock, nevertheless we shall not give up trying to steer clear. 

 There is one thing we have ascertained beyond a doubt with regard to 

 the Keiffer; it will grow, flourish and produce fruit, be the quality 

 what it may, on soils where other varieties will not even grow ; still it 

 appreciates good fair soil ; have had it in bearing five seasons, and have 

 grown much really good, and some wretchedly poor fruit ; always the 

 latter when left without thinning ; It will overbear, and three-fourths 

 of the pears must be taken off; then let the rest hang on late into Sep- 

 tember, gather, wrap in paper and ripen in the dark. After a few 

 weeks you will have pears that you can eat just like Bartletts, and you 

 cannot help wishing they were Bartlett's. 



Cherries of such varieties as Schmidts Bigarreau, Sappington, Ida 

 and AYindsor were all badly injured with us in the winters of '84 and 

 ^S5. The only sweet cherry in which we have faith is the White 

 Western, (for want of the real name), some 20 trees of which are on an 

 old nursery and orchard farm now owned by Messrs. Hassler Bros., of 

 Pike county. The original block of this variety stands without a mis- 

 sing tree. The trees are from 12 to 16 inches in diameter, sound and 



