58 BULLETIN 1189, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Chairs. Synonym: Chairs Choice. 



The Chairs is a large, attractive, yellow-fleshed freestone variety, ripening 

 with the Late Crawford immediately following the Elberta and too close 

 to the season of that popular variety. It does not seem to be as generally 

 grown in the Potomac Valley section of West Virginia as the Late Crawford, 

 although it is considered better on chert soils by some orchardists. It is 

 grown to a small extent and liked in the northern Panhandle of West Virginia. 

 It was not observed elsewhere. Its chief fault is its unproductiveness. The 

 Late Crawford and Chairs are the standard varieties of their season, although 

 the Edgemont, which ripens during the latter part of the season of these varie- 

 ties, is liked on the shale soils, is somewhat more productive, and is taking 

 their place to some extent. In the Potomac Valley sections the Chairs is re- 

 ported to be much better adapted to heavy soils of the lower altitudes than 

 to the mountains and higher elevations. 

 Champion. 



The Champion is a white-fleshed freestone variety which immediately follows 

 the Hiley and is the standard variety of its season for this area. 



At a few points on shale soil in the Potomac Valley section of West Virginia 

 the Hiley is planted in its place, but usually ripens enough earlier to make 

 Carman, Hiley, Champion, and Belle a desirable succession in this section. The 

 fruit of the Champion is large, with high color, and of very good dessert quality. 

 It is not a very good shipper, but carries well enough to be an important com- 

 mercial sort. Its color and quality are better than Carman, and it is considered 

 one of the surest bearers. It is the best of all freestone varieties for home 

 canning. In the Potomac Valley section, as well as in many other sections of 

 this area, it is reported to be much superior to the Mountain Rose, which 

 ripens at the same time. 

 Early Crawford. 



The Early Crawford is a widely known yellow-fleshed freestone variety of 

 highest quality which ripens with the Champion. It is being discarded in 

 this area in favor of the Champion, as it has proved to be too uncertain in 

 bearing. 

 Early Wheeler. Synonym : Red Bird. 



In the Gulf Coastal Plains region in Tennessee the Early Wheeler, a white- 

 fleshed clingstone peach, has proved profitable, as it ripens very early, before 

 many peaches come into the markets supplied from that region. The fruit is 

 highly colored and ripens about 10 days before the Greensboro. In other 

 regions it was not seen. 

 Edgemont. Synonym : Edgemont Beauty. 



The Edgemont variety originated in western Maryland and is proving to be 

 desirable for the season just after Elberta and late Crawford in the Potomac 

 Valley section. In that section it is reported to be adapted to both the chert 

 and the shale soils. In southwestern Virginia at an altitude of 3,000 feet it 

 is regarded as too variable in size, but on further testing may prove to be 

 more uniform. The fruit is large to very large, yellow fleshed, a good shipper, 

 highly colored, a freestone, and of high dessert quality. It is reported as 

 averaging larger in size and more highly colored than the Late Crawford, but 

 is so similar that it can hardly be told from that variety after picking. Others 

 ripening at the same period, or nearly the same, and which are extensively 

 grown are McCollister, Chairs (Chairs Choice), Fox (Fox Seedling), and 

 Stevens (Stevens Rareripe). Both the Fox and Stevens are white fleshed, 

 while the yellow-fleshed McCollister is not always a sure bearer. Thus the 

 Edgemont has good prospects of becoming a leading variety for its season. 



Elberta. 



Although the freestone Elberta peach is the leading variety in this area, it 

 does not form such a large percentage of the entire peach crop as it does in 

 many other sections. It seems to succeed on nearly every type of soil in the 

 area where peaches of any variety are grown. In the East Tennessee Valley 

 region it is by far the most important variety. In the Gulf Coastal Plains 

 region of Tennessee it is grown for the local markets, while earlier varieties 

 are grown for the general market. In Kentucky and West Virginia, although 

 planted more than any other single variety, it is, nevertheless, considered more 

 as the standard peach of its season to meet a definite sequence in ripening 

 than as the predominating variety. Its popularity with growers is increasing 

 in these States, and it is generally considered one of the most profitable of all 

 varieties. 



