280 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



VARIETIES AND PROFITS. 



In the matter of varieties, I presume that every peach grower on the 

 lake shore will agree with me that there have been about as many mis- 

 takes made in that as anything we have ever done. Many of these ques- 

 tions are questions of locality. Now, I am talking to you about things 

 thirty miles from here. It may not apply here. Another thing is the 

 question of soil. Certain varieties are adapted to certain soils, and it is 

 almost an endless task to go through. So far as I am concerned, I have 

 not had so very much experience with varieties. So whatever I say is 

 subject to criticism. 



To begin with the seasons and take them in rotation, we will have to 

 take the early semi-cling varieties; and I would take them and throw 

 them away if I had them. And I am in a position to get anything out of 

 them as quickly as anybody; if anyone can get any advantage out of them 

 we could, but I would not set one of them. I have had them and pulled 

 them out. Some man will say that he has made as much or more money 

 out of them as something else; but if I have a ripe crop of Alexanders 

 and there comes up a nice shower, a little hot burst of sunshine after- 

 wards, the skin slips off of them and you can not do anything with them. 

 I do not think that I would set a Hale, although the last two years they 

 have been very profitable. They will tell you on the high lands that the 

 Hale is always profitable, but I do not see any reason for growing the 

 Hale here. The last two years might change your mind, and the next year 

 might make you awfully sick of Hales. 



The first good peach, in my estimation, is the Lewis, and I think prob- 

 ably no variety has made more money along this portion of the lake 

 shore than those. And while it is not identical with the Hale, it is nearly 

 so; whatever we may say about one applies to the other, except rot. They 

 are robust growers, sound crotches, and of the Hale type, only they are 

 free from rot and are freestones. 



Following these are a good many that I will just speak of. One is the 

 St. Johns, or locally known as ''Crane's Early Yellow." Mr. Crane, of 

 Fennville, got some trees a number of years ago for some other variety, 

 and that lot proved to be this variety. He knew it must be of some 

 known variety but did not know what it was. It ripened early, imme- 

 diately after the Lewis, a beautiful yellow peach with red cheek and good 

 in every respect; people began to propagate from it, and not knowing the 

 name of it, called it the "Crane's Yellow." Young Mr. Taylor was taken 

 to Washington as assistant pomologist. He knew of this yeach — it was 

 in his vicinity — and he began to make an investigation and discovered it 

 was the St. Johns. It is a good sized yellow peach, ripening about a week 

 after the Lewis. It often sells on the market as the Crawford, although 

 it is not a Crawford in anything except growth. The only objection to 

 it is that it ripens on one side softer. 



Following the St. Johns some of you would say was the Jacques. 

 It is a little too variable in size and is troubled with a black spot fungus 

 on the side, and cracks in unfavorable weather badly. 



