BAKER NURSERIES 
CHOICE PEACH TREES 
THRIFTY - HEALTHY THEY GROW 
Peaches are about the most popular and delicious fruit we have. 
Arkansas grown Peach trees are in demand everywhere. Now is the 
time to set out new orchards and in three to four years you will have 
a full crop of Peaches. There will be a big demand for Peach trees 
this year; get your order in early so you will not be disappointed. We 
list only those varieties that have a ready sale on the market. 
THE STORY OF DON BYERS’ HARDEE 
In the summer of 1925 Donald Byers was traveling in the fruit 
belt of northern Ohio. While passing along the northernmost section 
of this area, Byers encountered a farmer and fruit grower, who told 
him of a seedling tree growing on his property which he called a 
"sure cropper.” Byers, who had been developing new peach varieties 
for many years and who was always on the lookout for particularly 
hardy types, was interested in the farmer’s story of his peach tree. 
The horticulturist’s interest) rose when he learned the tree was grow¬ 
ing on a piece of land close to the cold, wind-swept shore of Lake 
Erie. 
Byers returned to the farm several times during the course of that 
season to watch the tree bear. The appearance of a remarkably fine 
type of fruit together with the tree’s heavy bearing characteristics 
prompted Byers to obtain several buds for the purpose of testing and 
observation. He proceeded to propagate the tree by means of the 
buds taken from the original tree. Two of the trees as actually pro¬ 
duced, as described, were sent to the Ohio Agricultural Experiment 
Station, at Wooster. Both trees were received there and planted in 
the experimental orchard. This was in the spring of 1927. 
The trees went through their first real trial during the summer of 
1930 when a memorable drought was experienced in this part of the 
country. Although the two trees were only three years old, they 
came through undamaged. Other older trees suffered during this 
dry spell. In 1932, when the trees were only five years old, the State 
records show they each yielded two and a half bushels. The fruit 
harvested is described in these records as being "large, to above large 
in size, and of fine quality.” 
Nothing unusual happened, or was observed, in connection with 
the Hardee trees until the winter of 1933-34, when temperatures in 
Ohio dropped to the phenomenal low of 18 degrees below zero. It 
was early apparent that the standard and well-known varieties would 
bear lightly, if at all. Late in April both Hardee trees burst forth 
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