258 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



GRAND RIVER VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PKEPARED BY W. ST. COOK, SECRETARY. 



Ill accordance with custom I herewith submit the following report of the 

 doings of the society for the year just closed. The monthly meetings have 

 been held and the exhibition of fruit and discussion have been both interesting 

 and profitable. 



Early in the year President Rowe called the attention of the society to the 

 importance of the subject of yellows in peach trees, saying that the disease 

 was becoming wide spread and destructive in the southwestern portion of the 

 State, and urging the society or its members to make themselves acquainted 

 with the disease, at least so far as to be able to know the malady should it 

 make its appearance in this vicinity. 



This suggestion was followed by the appointment of a committee to visit 

 the yellows district and get what information they could on the subject. This 

 committee were invited by the Allegan Pomological Society to visit them in 

 August, which invitation the committee accepted, and in company with a 

 number of peach growers of our county went to Allegan, were welcomed and 

 entertained by the Allegan society and every facility offered to further the 

 object of their visit. The committee also secured a diseased tree and 

 exhibited it on the fair ground during the West Michigan fair. After its 

 close the tree was destroyed by burning. Further discussion of this subject is 

 proposed some time in January next. On their return this committee made a 

 full report to the society, which is on file. The society have also made a 

 departure from its usual mode by holding several of its monthly meetings at 

 the residences of its members, thus furnishing an opportunity to those who 

 have not usually attended to become acquainted with the objects and work of 

 the society; the results thus far have been very gratifying and in my opinion 

 the practice should be continued. Our field of operation embraces the coun- 

 ties of Kent, Ionia, Montcalm, Barry, Allegan, Ottawa and Muskegon. All 

 of them should become interested in this work and one or more of our 

 monthly meetings should be held in each of these counties annually. 



At the August meeting the Messrs. Pearsall, Rowe, Cook, W. K. Emmons, 

 and P. W. Johnson, were appointed a committee to collect and exhibit fruit at 

 the State fair of this State, West Michigan agricultural and industrial fair, 

 and any other fairs, in the discretion of the committee. Soou after this the sec- 

 retary received the premium list of the Mississippi valley horticultural society, 

 and laid the matter of making an exhibit at St. Louis before the commit- 

 tee and the executive board. It was decided to make an exhibit there, which 

 design was carried out. The society exhibited 100 varieties of apples in one 

 collection, 40 varieties in another, and 10 varieties as a collection for the 

 market north of the forty-first parallel; also several single plates of apples 

 and pears ; also a collection of 25 varieties of peaches, one of 10 varieties, and 

 several plates. This show of fruit at St. Louis was in charge of President 

 Wm. Rowe and Mr. Cook, and received marked attention from visitors. Dr. 

 Warder of Ohio, chairman of the awarding committee, said Michigan fruit 



