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NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE 



extensive orchards, there seems to be an inclination toward 

 growing more peaches. Several have set orchards this season. 

 Nearly all trees bore fruit this year, even those very old and 

 neglected. At the fairs the exhibits were exceptionally good, 

 leaving out, perhaps, the display at Tilton ; but even here one 

 man, Mr, C. E. Pillsbury of Londonderry, exhibited twenty 

 plates. 



Upon invitation from Mr. Charles M. Stratton of Hollis, his 

 peach orchard was visited on September 6, at which time he 

 was nicking and marketing his Mountain Rose fruit. A finer 

 crop was never seen by the writer, even in the famous belts of 

 Delaware or Western Michigan. His main orchard, which 

 had been set but five years, contained 475 trees and has pro- 

 duced about 900 baskets of one-half bushel each. It was all 

 marketed in Nashua and handled by one groceryman as fancy 

 fruit. His other variety was the Early Crawford, which is a 

 trifle later and equally as productive. A number of photo- 

 graphs were taken of the orchard, together with full notes upon 

 his method of cultivation, etc., which together with notes from 

 other sources will be publislied when sufficient material has 

 been collected to warrant a bulletin on the peacli. An excel- 

 lent report was also received from Mr. G. S. Tuttle of Barring- 

 ton, who has 1,500 peach trees representing numerous varieties, 

 but he reports no crop this season. He says there are a few 

 trees on his place that were set about forty-one years ago, 

 which fact shows that the peach tree must be hardy in New 

 Hampshire. To get tiie most out of peaches we believe they 

 should be set often, thus using them more as a rotation on land. 

 A few old trees, however, owned by Major Mellen of Durham 

 produced a very heavy crop. These trees stand at least twen- 

 ty-five feet high. 



Tlie Pluvi. — Reports from various sections regarding this 

 fruit differ widely. In 1S96 there was a very heavy crop in 

 the section of Lake Winnipesaukee ; at the State Grange fair, 

 Mr. G. F. Smith of Meredith had on exhibition twenty-two 

 varieties. Specimens of tiiirtcen of these varieties are shown 

 in Figure 7. Tliis year there were no plums in this section. 

 On the other hand, Mr. F. B. Hancliett of Plainfield and John 

 Gould of West Lebanon report remarkably heavy crops. Re- 



