212 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THINNING PEACHES. 



Mr. Geo. Longman — I hardly feel competent to furnish anything, 

 that would be of practical value to such learned body of men as you 

 will meet. I do know, however, that it pays me to thin fruit. My 

 peach trees today are heavily loaded with rich green foliage, as bright 

 as in July, showing that they are perfectly healthy and vigorous. I 

 believe that heroic thinning of the peach will make it a long lived tree. 



I have letters this season from many different persons throughout 

 the North testifying that they never saw peaches that excelled my fruit,, 

 either in size, general appearance or quality, and I take it for granted 

 that I could not bring about such results without thinning. Many 

 growers in the State this year were satisfied if their peaches netted 

 them $1 per bushel, but I had no trouble in getting $2.50 per bushel 

 on the cars here for all the strictly fancy fruit that I had. All this is 

 due to thinning and thorough cultivation. 



In the peach I do not know that thinning limits the quality at all.. 

 I do not get as many specimens, but those left grow so large that I 

 have about as many or more bushels of marketable fruit as I would 

 have if no thinning was done. Six inches apart on the limbs on an. 

 average is close enough for this fruit. 



I have confined my remarks to the peach, from the fact that it m 

 the only fruit, except a few plums, that I have ever thinned. 



S. W. Gilbert. 



Thubsday, December 5 — 9 a. m. 



Business Meeting. 



Mr. W. A. Gardner was appointed to send a telegram of greeting 

 and congratulation to the Minnesota State Horticultural Society in 

 meeting assembled. 



The following message was received in return : 



Minneapolis, Minn., Decembers, 1895. 

 L. A. Goodman, Secretary Missouri State Horticultural Society, Neosho, Mo. : 

 We heartily reciprocate your kindly greeting; let us shake hands. 



A. W. Latham, 

 Sec'y Minn. State Horticultural Society. 



To the Hon. President of the Missouri State Horticultural Society, in executive session at 



Neosho, Mo. ; 



Dear Sir— We desire to extend fraternal greetings to you and the Missouri State 

 Horticultural Society, and wish for you a most successful and profitable session. The time- 



