MICHIGAN FRUIT AT THE CENTENNIAL. 14o 



A.J. Perrin, — varieties of fruit. Keeler: Jolm Posevelt, — choice samples of 

 fruit. Decatur: A. A. Olds, — grapes, apples and pears. Lawrence: H. C. 

 Barnes, — varieties of fruit. Lawton : Judge Lawton, — apples and grapes. E. 

 Warner, — pears, peaches, grapes, and apples. William Jones, Mr. Love, and 

 D. Spice, — varieties of fruit. 



Wayne County. — Wayne County Horticultural Society, — collection of ap- 

 ples. George H. Hopkins, — seedling apples. J. B. Bloss, Detroit, — apples. J. 

 W. Humphrey, Plymouth, — apples. John Waterman, Northville, — winter 

 apples. 



THE COUNTIES REPRESENTED, AND RESULTS. 



It will be seen that twenty-two counties were represented in the displays of 

 fruit. Only about half of this number could be said to have more than a very 

 meagre representation of their real capacity as fruit growing counties, and yet 

 with this very limited collection, Michigan made a display which challenged 

 competition, and commanded universal admiration, and it was a purely vol- 

 untary offering. If the State had done as some other States did, — provide 

 ample funds for the purchase, collection, rapid transit, and exhibition of fruit, 

 — it would have been a display of Michigan's capacity as a fruit-growing State, 

 such as would have been of incalculable advantage to the State. Especially 

 would its peaches have made a fine display. Even as it was, with free offer- 

 ings on the part of fruit growers and gratuitous labors on the part of those who 

 organized and achieved success, the result has been gratifying. It has already 

 shown itself in a large demand in the eastern and even western cities for Michi- 

 gan apples, while a business with Europe has been commenced which can be 

 only limited by the production. 



The very States that claimed the closest rivalry with Michigan in the pro- 

 duction of apples, — Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas, — are largely indebted to 

 Michigan for their supply of that fruit during fall and spring, long after their 

 own crops have entirely vanished from their markets. 



The Iowa Producer, in a recent humorous article, well illustrated the situa- 

 tion in regard to Michigan apples in western States : 



"The Professor and I have been eating our lunch of sandwiches and doughnuts, 

 topped out with an apple apiece. While munching the last named article, we fell to 

 talking about apples, and the Professor asked me where these which we were eating 

 came from, remarking at the same time upon the reputation Iowa has as a fruit 

 growing State. He went on to speak of the splendid show made by us at the Phila- 

 delphia Exhibition last year, and of the many triumphs which Iowa Pomologists had 

 enjoyed over their eastern brethren. All this was very pleasing, and well calculated 

 to make an old resident feel quite well satisfied with the world in general, and the 

 State of Iowa in particular. But when he repeated his question as to where the 

 apples we were eating came from, I must confess to not feeling quite so much flat- 

 tered. I was obliged to say that I believed they came from Michigan; whereupon, 

 the Professor, not being a practical fruit grower, asked why it was that a State which 

 produced such splendid apples as Iowa showed at Philadelphia, should go to Michi- 

 gan for her winter supply. 



"In his characteristic way, he then ran on about Michigan. 'What a wonderful 

 State that must be,' he said. ' Why, I've heard that our dealers in town sell only 

 Michigan apples. You can't buy any other kind. If you go to any of them and ask 

 for a barrel of apples, they always roll out one marked Michigan." I tried to slip in 

 a word, but he ran on: 'Once in a while a farmer near town does sell a few apples, 

 but they do not begin to supply the demand. If you can raise apples as well as you 

 claim to be able to. I'd like to know why you don't raise enough so that I con buy some. 

 Here I am living in the State which is claimed to grow the finest apples in the world, 

 and yet I can't get any for my own eating. I must eat the second-rate apples of that 



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