FIRST FRUITS. 



large fruit, often measuring three] inches in diameter. 

 The color is purplish, over a tint of yellowish green. The 

 true Kelsey will not mature north of Tennessee or 

 North Carolina. The variety as sent out is much mixed. 

 The Japanese plum foliage is not attacked by the 

 fungus which causes the foliage of common varieties to 

 drop prematurely. 



Pruniis Simoni gives little promise except as a possible 

 parent of improved sorts. The fruit is usually poor, 

 medium in size. 



The Clyman is one of the most promising of all new 

 plums, from the fact that it ripens with the Wild Goose, 

 fully six weeks ahead of common plums. It is true 

 Primus domestica. It is Californian in origin, but gives 

 promise in the east. 



Of grapes, the Lyon was much praised by the speaker. 

 It is a red grape, larger than Delaware, and a better 

 bunch, with quality fully as good. It is of Michigan 

 origin, and is named for the venerable T. T. Lyon. 

 The Ohio Culinary grape is a very foxy and poor sort. 

 The Colerain grape was well spoken of by several. It is a 

 white grape, ripening between Martha and Lady. The skin 

 is somewhat tender, but it will ship as well as Worden. 

 The Green Mountain is the earliest white grape, and is 

 fair in quality. Woodruff Red bids fair to become a 

 good market grape, but for amateur use it is inferior. 



Krull is one of the most promising new pears. It is, 

 in Mr. VanDeman's opinion, the best winter pear yet 

 produced. It resembles the Lawrence, is fully as late 

 as Vicar and as good as Nelis, It originated in Missouri, 

 and is not yet disseminated. Idaho is a second and im. 

 proved edition of Duchess. Philopena, from Indiana, 

 is very promising ; the original tree is fifty years old, and 

 is a seedling reared by Ruben Ragan. 



Among apples, the Garfield, from Illinois, was praised. 

 It is very hardy ; fruit nearlyas large as Ben Davis, 

 brilliant crimson striped on a yellow ground, slightly 

 conical, good in quality. Leighton, of Illinois, is much 

 like Garfield ; a yellowish fruit — and a very hardy sort. 

 Shirk is a new Indiana fall sweet apple of great promise. 

 It is the season of Bailey Sweet, and the tree is a nice 

 grower. Bullman is an Illinois apple which is the same 

 as Red Canada. Ivanhoe is a late winter apple, very 

 poor in quality ; much like Mann in looks, but not so flat. 

 Peffer, from Wisconsin, is a seedling of Pewaukee, but 

 a better apple and fully as hardy. The Windsor apple, 

 also a Wisconsin seedling, is a medium red, handsome ; 

 flesh very white, poor in quality, hardy. Colton is an 

 Ohio apple, one of the best very early summer sorts. 

 It is very productive ; a good cooking kind. Harry 

 Kaump, from Wisconsin, is a late fall apple of promise, 

 medium in size, greenish yellow. Foundling, an old 

 New England winter apple, was recommended for gen- 

 eral culture. 



Of strawberries the Pearl was particularly endorsed. 



Nut culture is assuming prominence, particularly 

 chestnut culture. Wherever wild chestnuts grow, the 

 culture of the improved nut can be successfully prose- 

 cuted. The Dupont or Ridgely is a good chestnut, but 



the Paragon is probably better. Native chestnuts are 

 always better in quality than foreign sorts. The pecan 

 has been wonderfully improved of late, and some sorts 

 are now grown from which the bitter inner rind is re- 

 moved. 



The Crandall currant was endorsed. It is variable, 

 and this variableness was found to be due, according to 

 a statement made in the meeting, to the fact that sev- 

 eral original plants, all seedlings, were distributed as 

 the same. 



Among oranges, the Hart's Late is one of the most 

 valuable, chiefly because it is very late. It was intro- 

 duced from England many years ago by S. B. Parsons. 

 It is also known as Excelsior (the oldest name), Brown, 

 and in California, as Valencia Late. Bessie, a Florida 

 seedling, is equally as late as the last and as good. Jaffa 

 and Majorca are recent introductions of great value. 

 The Satsuma is the hardiest of all edible fruited 

 oranges, but it cannot be commercially grown even as 

 far north as Georgia. 

 / The pomelo is a valuable citrus fruit of which named 

 sorts have not been grown in this country. Some nam- 

 ed sorts are now introduced, of which Aurantium is one 

 of the best, This fruit is often erroneously called 

 grape-fruit and shaddock. 



Of lemons, the Villafranche is good. It is a sweet 

 rinded sort. Eureka, from California, is one of the 

 very best. 



G. E. Meissner argued that stock can be dug too early 

 in the fall. A resolution was offered and after much 

 discussion adopted, urging that the Association use itg 

 influence to discourage the practice of early sale and 

 digging of nursery stock. The wood of trees should be 

 allowed to mature naturally. It appeared to be the 

 sense of the meeting that early fall digging of trees was 

 almost entirely the fault of customers, many of whom 

 persist in ordering too early. 



[The remaining report will appear in the next issue.] 



Professor Bailey offered a resolution, which was a- 

 dopted, requesting the Secretary of Agriculture to turn 

 over to the Division of. Pomology for the purchase and 

 distribution of new fruits, at least $5,000 of the lioo,- 

 000 appropriated by Congress for the distribution of 

 seeds and plants. 



James D. Raynolds, president of the Chicago Florists' 

 Club, was endorsed by the Association for the position 

 of Commissioner of Horticulture of the World's Fair. 



A committee on registration of plants was appointed, 

 consisting of L . H. Bailey, New York, N. H. Albaugh, 

 Ohio, and S. B. Parsons, New York. 



S. M. Emery was constituted a standing committee 

 on express rates. 



The officers of the ensuing year, are S. M. Emery, 

 Minnesota, president ; J. Van Lindley, N. CaTolina, 

 first vice president ; C. A. Green, New York, secre- 

 tary ; A. R. Whitney, Illinois, treasurer ; Irving 

 Rouse, New York, W. J. Peters, Ohio, and Franklin 

 Davis, Maryland, executive committee. The next 

 meeting is to be held at St. Paul or Minneapolis. 



