WASHTENAW COUNTY POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 361 



StrMwl)errv blossoms were injured by frosts iu this county, bnt only to a 

 limited extent. The usual spring rains failed us and consequently the 

 planting and working of the soil was ditlicult, and the newly planted trees 

 and plants were in danger oi failure. However, in June the rains came 

 copiously, and though too late for strawberries saved the raspberry and 

 blackl)erry crops. Both are largely grown here for the market. The 

 Guthbert is almost exclusively grown, among the red sorts, and the Gregg 

 among the black. The two sorts stand the drouth remarkably well. The 

 Ohio is going out of favor. Prices of raspberries ran from $1.50 to $3.00 

 per bushel. Blackberries sold for $3 per bushel. Among blackberries, 

 the Snyder .stands at the head. The Taylor is grown somewhat, by a 

 few only. 



The cherry is an early and always a welcome fruit. The cro]) was not 

 full, but averaged about seventy-five per cent, of a crop. This fruit is not 

 largely planted, and none is shipped. When strawberries fail, cherries 

 largely take their place. Said friiits save the people doctor bills and 

 <lecrease the sale of patent medicine. 



GRAPES. 



The excessive rains and cold weather in June prevented a good setting 

 of the fruit. This caused a loss in the crop of about forty per cent. A 

 heavy hail storm destroyed much of the crop in some vineyards. The 

 larger vineyards suffered much from black rot. A small part of the 

 crop was damaged by October frosts. The grapes were ripe but not all of 

 them gathered in time. Grapes keep much better on the vines than 

 stored, and for this reason they are often allowed to hang longer on the 

 vines than is prudent on account of sudden hard frosts. Paper bags 

 would save the grapes from both the rot and fall frosts. Among the many 

 good varieties now becoming prominent, none can replace the Concord as 

 a standard market grape. The Worden aspires to this object, but will 

 only precede the Concord. Worden does not seem to keep as well as the 

 Concord, and for this reason will only prove the best market grape in its 

 season, and thus leave the Concord without a rival. The Niagara proved 

 an entire failure here this year. Wyoming is as reliable as the Concord, 

 ripens two weeks earlier, and is the most successfiil red grape that ripens 

 early. It is a little larger than Delaware, good, but not so rich. With 

 l)roper care, the Delaware can be successfully grown here. Brighton is a 

 delicious grape, but mildew will likely cause it to fail somewhat. The 

 grape is the most expensive fruit to grow, on account of the trellising, 

 pruning, and tying. Unless we can master the grape rot, it will become an 

 unprofitable fruit. It requires elevated land to succeed on. and such a 

 location is the right one for peaches, which are a comparatively cheap fruit to 

 grow. Plums yielded fairly well, and this fruit is growing in favor among our 

 jjomologists. Quinces were a light crop though the trees blossomed well. 

 They rarely fail here. Pears did exceedingly well, but the blight in June 

 was very bad among standards. Our Clapps are nearly all mined. 

 Angouleme and Anjou dwarfs escaped altogether — two valuable market 

 .pears. The Kieffer also is. so far. free from blight. It is a most wonder- 

 ful i)earer and should be thinned to improve quality and size. To see 

 fruit, and plenty of it, on nursery trees of this variety is a common thing. 

 Le Conte seems to possess no value for this section. It is very poor 

 4fi 



