INDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 365 



business of that kind. Tlie growing of fruits and flowers and liaving 

 tliem about will make any one better and nobler. 



Mr. Johnson: On going home this evening I found this letter on my 

 table: 



Albion, Ind., December 2, 1902. 

 S. Johnson, Irvington, Ind.: 



Dear Sir— I can not be at the State Horticultural meeting to-morrow, 

 and there is a subject I would like to have thoroughly discussed, that of 

 "Commercial Orchard." Of four or five of the best varieties for that 

 purpose Noble County made selection of the four following varieties: 

 Baldwin, Jonathan, Ben Davis and York Imperial. lam not satisfied with 

 Ben Davis, I think we will have to discard it. It is too poor in quality 

 and the people are going back on it. Can't you bring this subject forward 

 and have it discussed. I meant to have written Mr. B"'lick, but put it 

 off too long. Hope this will roach you in time for the meeting, and also 

 hope you may have a successful meeting. 



Respectfully yours. 



WM. TALBEKT, 



Albion, Ind. 



President Stevens: Can any one give Mr. Talbert the information he 

 asks for? "What variety of apples would be most desirable in a commer- 

 cial orchard? I think some of our local fruit growers should answer 

 this. I should like to hear from Mr. Burton. 



Mr. Burton: I am afraid I am not competent to answer that question, 

 because oin- different localities differ so radically. If I say the Grimes is 

 the best, possibly it may be getting too far north. If I say the Ben Davis, 

 wny there are hundreds of reasons why we should not raise that variety; 

 there are too many raised now. It is working much against our fruit 

 business, because those who buy Ben Davis apples can live half a winter 

 on a bushel, where they would eat ten bushels of Rome Beauties or 

 Grimes. I shall ask Mr. Swaim or Mr. Henry to answer that letter; they 

 are from the northern part of the State. 



President Stevens: I think the gentleman wants a variety to take the 

 place of the Ben Davis. He is not partial to the Ben Davis at all, and he 

 wants to know what this Society would suggest instead of that variety. 



Mr. Swalm: I am not sure of my own mind in regard to the Ben 

 Davis. I think Mr. Burton is right when he says there are too many of 

 them raised now. When we raise a fruit that is inferior in quality and 

 put it on the market we do the trade an injustice. I do know, however, 

 that we frequently get the Ben Davis to hang on the trees during years 

 when we do not get much else. The Winesap is apt to be a little too 

 small in the northern part of the State to be profitable. They do not 

 grow as large as they do in the southern part of Indiana. Grimes does 



