272 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Crawfords, trimmed low, now bear largely, while the Early ones, trimmed high, 

 as yet bear sparsely. 



Mr. Stranahan said he had GOO three-years-old trees which as yet had not 

 been pruned at all, and they are the handsomest he knows of. He would not 

 head a tree higher than two feet; the tree has a strong tendency to grow like 

 the tamarack, a central stem with many lateral branches. 



Mr. Sailor cuts back some, but thins out more; forms his heads three feet 

 from the ground ; swaying is caused most by tops too heavy for their trunks; 

 thin out the tops so the wind can get through and there will be no swaying. 



Mr. Lay favored low heading as affording stout trunks, large heads, ease of 

 harvesting, and healthy condition ; he practiced cutting back long limbs, 

 which he found chiefly on north and east sides. 



Mr. Smith broached cultivation. Mr. Buck would raise corn for the first 

 three years, and then nothing, as the trees will require the full strength of the 

 soil. He had cultivated raspberries between the peach rows, but corn was best. 

 Some years the ground may be tilled later than others. This year there has 

 been a great growth of wood, and he would not cultivate any more, but allow 

 the growth to stop and the wood to ripen. Last year cultivation was carried 

 on till the first of August with good effect. 



August Meeting. 



Despite a cloudy and threatening day, about sixty gentlemen and a third as 

 many ladies met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Dumont, on Tuesday, to 

 take part in the August meeting of the County Pomological Society. Other 

 meetings held at that pleasant spot had been successful, but this, for several 

 reasons, was the largest gathering the society ever had ; for besides the hospi- 

 tality of the house and its pleasant surroundings, this was to be the occasion 

 for 



A VISIT 



from the Grand River Valley Horticultural Society, its representatives coming 

 to learn what they could of yellows — and the subject of "Varieties" was 

 also to be discussed, making two subjects of utmost importance to the fruit- 

 grower. 



GRAND RAPIDANS. 



The party of gentlemen from Grand Rapids was much larger than had been 

 expected, but no greater than had been well provided for. They came to Alle- 

 gan and went thence to Mill Grove and were taken in wagons to Mr. Dumont's. 

 There were eighteen, — Messrs. S. L. Fuller, J. M. Dean, W. K. Munson, C. 

 E. Knapp, Geo. Edison, R. D. Graham, Wrn. N. Rowe, S. M. Pearsall, N. 

 Oummings, E. Swartz, D. Koon, P. W. Johnson, H. R. Pierce, L. A. Paine, 

 W. H. Anderson, J. M. Shafer, E. C. Phillips, and C. W. Garfield, Secretary 

 of the State Pomological Society. They were accompanied by C. C. Sexton 

 of the Grand Rapids Democrat. Mr. T. T. Lyon, President of the State 

 Society, was also present, and some of the members of our own society came 

 from a considerable distance. 



THE FRUIT EXHIBIT 



was quite varied as to peaches, sixteen or seventeen varieties being on the table. 

 There were Early Crawfords, Hales, Yorks, the Foster, Barnard, Mountain 



