=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 66. 1881. =2.= _Am. Gard._ =9=:391 fig. 1888. =3.= _Can. Hort._ =11=:281, 282. 1888. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 30. 1889. =5.= _U. S. D. A. Rpt._ 382, Pl. 1. 1891. =6.= _Can. Hort._ =17=:305, Pl. 1894. =7.= _Mo. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 272, 273. 1896. =8.= _Tex. Sta. Bul._ =39=:807 fig. 1896. =9.= _Can. Hort._ =23=:131, 132, fig. 1769. 1900. =10.= _Del. Sta. Rpt._ =13=:97 fig. 98. 1900. =11.= _Rural N. Y._ =60=:54, 1901. =12.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:343, 344 fig. 1903. Elberta leads all other peaches in number of trees in New York and in America. It is, too, the most popular of all peaches in the markets. A study of the variety, though it reveals some shortcomings, justifies its popularity with orchardists and marketmen. The preeminently meritorious character of Elberta is its freedom from local prejudices of either soil or climate--it is the cosmopolite of cultivated peaches. Thus, Elberta is grown with profit in every peach-growing state in the Union and in nearly all, if not all, is grown in greater quantities than any other market peach. The second character which commends Elberta to those in the business of peach-growing is fruitfulness--barring frosts or freezes the trees load themselves with fruit year in and year out. Added to these two great points of superiority are ability to withstand, in fair measure at least, the ravages of both insects and fungi, large size, vigor, early bearing and longevity in tree, and large, handsome, well-flavored fruits which ship and keep remarkably well. Elberta, however, is not without faults and serious ones. The trees are not as hardy in either wood or blossom as might be wished. In northern regions peaches of the Crosby, Chili, Smock and Wager type stand winter freezes and spring frosts much better. The blossoms open rather too early in New York. The peaches also fall short in quality. They lack the richness of the Crawfords and the sweetness of the white-fleshed Champion type. Moreover, the pronounced bitter tang, even when the peaches are fully ripe, is disagreeable to some. Picked green and allowed to ripen in the markets, Elberta is scarcely edible by those who know good peaches. The stone is large but is usually wholly free from the flesh. With these faults, the dominance of Elberta is not wholly desirable as growers have a feeling of sufficiency with the one variety and consumers are forced to put up with a peach none too high in quality. Still, since no other variety is so reliable for the trade, this, by the way, being about the only variety suitable for export by reason of shipping qualities, Elberta promises long to continue its commercial supremacy.