Unfortunately we cannot be as certain of the merits of the trees of the two varieties as we are of the fruits. This much we know, J. H. Hale is a few days earlier than Elberta and its trees and buds are hardier than those of Elberta. Which is the more productive is not certain and this can be ascertained only when data can be had from a large number of growers since productiveness in both is bound to vary with the soil. The greatest asset of Elberta is its ability to adapt itself to diverse soils; whether J. H. Hale is equally elastic in constitution remains to be seen. The variety is still on probation in New York with the chances growing stronger each year that it will take high place among commercial peaches. We do not expect it to drive Elberta from the markets but the markets will be shared between the two, J. H. Hale reaching the fruit-stands several days in advance of Elberta. Would that there were as good a commercial variety to follow Elberta. This remarkable variety is a chance seedling found by J. H. Hale, South Glastonbury, Connecticut. From its characters, one sees at once that it is either an offspring or is very closely related to Elberta--at first many thought the two were identical. After having thoroughly tested the new variety in commercial orchards in both Connecticut and Georgia, Mr. Hale decided that it was worth introducing and sold the new peach to the William P. Stark Nurseries, Stark City, Missouri. The distribution of the variety was begun in 1912 and possibly no other tree-fruit has ever been so rapidly propagated and so widely distributed as has the J. H. Hale in the past four years. [Illustration: J. H. HALE] Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped, productive; trunk of medium thickness, smooth; branches smooth, ash-gray overspread with dark reddish-brown; branchlets medium in thickness and length, with long internodes, olive-green overspread with red, smooth, glabrous. Leaves six and three-fourths inches long, one and three-fourths inches wide, folded upward, recurving at the tip, lanceolate, thin, leathery; upper surface dark green, smooth becoming rugose along the midrib; lower surface olive-green, with prominent midrib; margin singly or doubly serrate; petiole five-sixteenths inch long, thick, with one to five reniform, dark brown glands of medium size; flowers appear in mid-season.