Our section is peculiar as regards fruit. The peach, apple, etc., from the North either do not grow, or become demoralized in some way. Northern peaches do not bloom till May, then drop their fruit. The Spanish or native Southern kinds bloom in February and mature during our rainy season, in July and August. The recently introduced Chinese crooked and flat varieties bloom in January and mature in May but are liable to short crops from the frosts of January, and February 1st to 20th, besides, both are very small.

We have two native varieties that are of fine size, color and flavor, but they bloom from February 15th to March 10th, and ripen August 1st to 15th, both "freestones." The Chinese Flat Peen-to is a cling. Now, a hybrid ripening in May, a Peen-to - flat peach - freestone, or a "Crooked" cling hybrid would be great acquisitions, as well as a hybrid between the "Indian Blood cling" and the Chinese varieties. During the last ten years I have made many experiments, and planted many peach seeds, but as yet to no purpose. I am led almost to conclude that the peach is self-fertilized, neither Protero-androus or gynous. I have not been able to find any authority in botany who knows more about hybridization than yourself, and with this preface and excuse I will ask: How shall I determine if the peach is Proterogynous or not - Pro-terandrous? What is your belief or knowledge as to the class referred to of the peach? Is there any difference in the ripening of the pollen in cling or freestone? Given a cling mother - Chinese Flat - and a freestone father - Crooked or Amelia - which will the hybrid resemble? Would a blood freestone from native freestone and blood cling, or from honey freestone and blood cling? Which would I better use as the female element? Is there any law governing? Is there any treatise on the subject? Archer, Florida.

[Whether the pistils mature before the stamens (proterogynous) or the stamens before the pistils (proterandrous) is solely a matter of climate or season, and is not a definite character of the plant itself. This we think has been proved by the writer of this in the " Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia," though we do not know that the fact has been recognized by European botanists; certainly by none who have written about the fertilization of flowers. A stamen is excited to growth by a few warm days, while it takes a regularly warm "spell" to start the pistil. This is the reason why we often fail in getting crops of hickories, walnuts, filberts and other things when there are a few warm days in winter. The stamens mature long before the pistils push. Hence, when they do there is no pollen to fertilize them. In the usual seasons, they both push together, or the flowers may be proterogynous.

There is no rule for the influence of either parent. The same plant today may show a large proportion leaning toward the male parent. Seeds of the same cross next year may have opposite results. - Ed. G. M].