110 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



so favorable to this special calling, if we desire to add a little Horticulture to 

 the business of life and invoke the aid of our Pomological Society. Just a word 

 more. Let us return to the day in anticipation for our centennial work. 

 Crown the labors of the day witli a feast becoming a day of thanksgiving and 

 1 itaise, that it maybe remembered to the latest hour of the last surviving mem- 

 ber of your household, and future generations shall rise up and call you blessed. 



LAKE SHORE AGRICULTURAL AND POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The L. S. A. and P. Society centers in and about Douglass, Allegan county, 

 and hold monthly meetings during the entire year, and also sustains an annual 

 exhibition. As this report is being written, a committee is preparing a report 

 upon the question of dropping "agricultural" out of the Society name. Inas- 

 much as the work of the organization is almost entirely confined to fruit mat- 

 ters, the change would seem advisable. 



OFFICERS FOR 1S77. 



President — D. W. Wiley. Postoffice, Douglas, Allegan county. 

 Vice-Presidents — N". W. Lewis, A. Hamilton, Byron Markham, Wm. Corner, 

 Jas. F. Taylor, and A. Adams. 



Secretary — W. Gumming. Postoffice, Ganges, Allegan county. 



Treasurer — J. S. Owen. 



Directors — J. P. Leeland and M. B. Williams. 



FEBRUARY MEETING. 



After the reading of the minutes the subject of pruning, which had been 

 selected for discussion, was brought up, but before proceeding it was decided, 

 on motion, to limit the time to one hour. The discussion was then opened by 

 Mr. W. Corner, who disapproved of laying down rules to apply in all cases, 

 but would have an ideal or perfect model in the mind and then prune the tree 

 as might appear necessary in order to bring it as near as possible to that ideal. 

 Thought spring was the proper time to prune. Was opposed to the process 

 commonly known as heading back or shortening in, as practiced on the peach : 

 as he thought it made the top of the tree too thick. 



Mr. N. W. Lewis, who followed Mr. Corner, wished to know if the limbs of 

 peach trees not headed back would not grow so long as to make it necessary to 

 have the trees set farther apart. 



Mr. J. llattersley did not think trees so treated would require any more room 

 than trees that had been shortened in, and favored the system advocated by 

 Mr. Corner. 



Mr. Levi Loomis being called upon, said lie could not agree with those who 

 opposed shortening in, but would cutoff from a peach tree about one-half of 

 each years growth for the first three years, in order to make the limbs grow 

 strong and stocky. Then for the next few years, if the tree was thought to be 

 too thick, would thin out; then as it became older would again resort to head- 

 ing back in order to renew the tree and furnish an abundant supply of bearing 

 wood. He thought shortening in would help prolong the life of the tree. 



