INDIANA HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 189 



orchard, and I know of none that is better than mine. I know of one 

 man who pkmted his orchard on tlie hill side. He never touched it since 

 planting; never cultivated it; never trimmed the sprouts that come up. 

 He had a good crop of pears every year. I am going to have a fine crop 

 of pears this year. No blighted pears in my orchard. No winter killed. 



Joe A. Burton: I, had a few Keiffers winter killed. 



H. W. Henry: 1 do not believe that a pear orchard should be culti- 

 vated after it is a few years old. 



A Member: I would like to ask Prof. Troop if the seventeen-year 

 locust had anything to do with the blight. I noticed so very many big 

 limbs blighted. I wondered if the seventeen-year locust had anything to 

 do with it. 



Prof. Troop: Very little. 



President Stevens: We will now proceed to the next topic which is 

 "Peaches," and Ave will hear from Mr. Dean. 



POSSIBILITIES OF INDIANA FOR GROWING PEACHES ON A 



COMMERCIAL SCALE. 



BY HIRAJVI P. DEAN, GREENWOOD. 



Regarding the growing of peaches on a commercial scale in Indiana, 

 it seems to me a demonstrated fact, and hardly should be considered as 

 a question of possibility. If, however, the adaptability of the whole area 

 of the State be considered, there does not arise a serious question as 

 regards the possible success of large commercial plantings. 



Last year's crop of peaches fully demonstrated the fact that peaches 

 can be successfully grown all over the State of Indiana. But again, 

 this year we learn that we get no peaches unless we get them from 

 more favored localities. Now, the commercial planter should first learn 

 how often this last necessity may occur. Having been in the business 

 of growing peaches on a commercial scale my entire life, I desire to 

 state to those who are expecting to enter upon this business that the 

 constant care and cultivation of peach orchards, and the consequent 

 expense must go on uninterruptedly through years of failure as well 

 as the bearing years. We then should know whether the locality in which 

 we plant will give us fruitful years enough to leave us a margin of 

 profit after covering expense of years of failure, use of land, more or 

 less valuable, and the interest, taxes, and other outlays. In ordinary 

 rich soil we can almost make good our expense the first two or three 



