232 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



No insects have ever yet troubled the fruit in this region to any serious 

 extent. 



There has been no purely horticultural society in the county, though we 

 have an excellent county agricultural society. 



Manistee raises more and larger strawberries than any region I know of. 

 There is frequently as high as three hundred dollars cleared from a single 

 acre in one season. 



In 18S0, S. Rice marketed 3,354 quarts picked from one acre of land. The 

 average price was ten cents per quart — $335.50. Chas. Hurd, John M. D. 

 Heath, R. Barns, and many others, have done about as well. 



Manistee has direct steamboat communication daily with Chicago and Mil- 

 waukee, making this a desirable shipping post. Lands, good for fruit and 

 farms, can be had for from five to ten dollars per acre, and we confidently 

 expect that the day is not distant when all this region will be largely devoted 

 to furnishing fruit to the large cities and non-fruit-bearing regions of the west. 

 Already Manistee fruit has taken the first premium at the State fair whenever 

 well represented. R. Barns has taken the first premium on peaches; L. S. 

 Ellison, plums and peaches; S. W. Fowler, on plums and peaches; Win. Pro- 

 bert, on apples ; and others have been equally successful. 



Manistee as a fruit region needs but to be known to be appreciated, and 

 the thanks of her people are due to the State Pomological Society for hearty 

 cooperation and support. 



MONTCALM COUNTY. 



BY JAMES SATTERLEE, GREENVILLE. 



A large portion of Montcalm couuty is still too new to show any great 

 advancement in fruit-growing. The southern tier of townships which join 

 Ionia county on the north, Eureka, Fairplains, Bloomer and Bushnell, were 

 the first settled, and show the greatest development in fruit culture of any 

 township in the county. The original timber of these townships was mostly 

 oak, in some parts very heavy. It has taken much time to get rid of the 

 stumps and to get good orchards started. The timber of Eureka being less 

 heavy was the first cleared, and this township now produces more fruit than 

 any other. There is much high, dry and sandy land well adapted to peach- 

 growing. In the early history of the township peaches never failed. Of late 

 years the crop has been more uncertain. Cherries, pears and grapes are grown 

 quite successfully. The first apple orchards were set in the spring of 1845 by 

 W. and R. K. Divine. A year or two afterward Alexander Satterlee set a fine 

 orchard, and orchards were set by Ethan, Henry, and Ezra Satterlee. These 

 orchards are all in good bearing condition, only a few trees being killed in the 

 severe winter of '74 and '5. Many younger orchards are now in bearing, and 

 the fruit produced is of the very best quality. 



Fairplains, lying east of Eureka, has many good orchards, the first of which 

 was set by J. Bradish, about 1850. Nearly the entire township is good, strong 

 soil, and the land quite level. But few peaches are grown. The same may be 

 said of the two townships lying further east, Bushnell and Bloomer. The soil 

 is strong and well adapted to growing apples. 



These four townships produce nearly the entire fruit crop of the county. 

 Lying so near the lumber woods and the newly settled portion of the county, 

 the market is always good. 



