REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 279 



SAUGATUCK AND GANGES POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



PREPARED BY BYRON MARKHAM, SEC'Y. 

 OFFICERS FOR 1881. 



President — Rev. J. F. Taylor. 



Vice Presidents — Alexander Hamilton, Levi Loomis, J. H. Bandle, Wm. 

 Corner, P. Purdy, N. W. Lewis. 

 Secretary — Byron Markham. 

 Treasurer — J. S. Owen. 

 Directors — J. P. Lelaud, S. R. Lewis, A. Hamilton, H. L. House. 



The report of the proceedings of the Saugatuck and Ganges Pomological 

 Society for the year 1880 will have even less of a public interest than usual, on 

 account of its discussions being confined more particularly to subjects of a 

 local interest. But one essay has been read during the year. 



The first December meeting, 1879, discussed the subject of varieties of 

 peaches. 



Mr. H. L. House recommended especially Jacques and Hill's Chili on sandy 

 land and Late Crawfords on heavy soil. Barnards did well on heavy land, but 

 were not profitable for market. Some of the very early varieties were proving 

 profitable where they did not rot, but this they were very apt to do. Rev. J. 

 F. Taylor inquired if the Jacques were large enough to compete with other va- 

 rieties ripening at about the same time. 



Mr. House: Yes; as they ripen just after Early Crawfords. 



Mr. Taylor thought we could judge somewhat by the sales of trees by nur- 

 serymen. The varieties called for now ought to indicate the opinion of plant- 

 ers. Mr. Hamilton said this would be no criterion, as very few planters really 

 knew what they wanted. Mr. Purdy thought the great difficulty was to get 

 what you bought. He had three varieties of trees, all bought for Jacques — 

 some excellent and some worthless. Mr. Owen's Jacques were good, fair, yel- 

 low peaches, with red flush, and were good bearers. H. E. Graham had 

 Jacques Rareripe which ripened with latest of Early Crawfords, medium size, 

 etc., but did not want any more of them ; would continue to plant, as he be- 

 lieved the market would increase with the production. 



Mr. Hamilton believed it quite possible to overstock the market. The 

 Secretary said that according to the report of T. T. Lyon, in 1877, the St. 

 Joseph region produced and sold more peaches than the rest of the lake shore, 

 and notwithstanding the fact that many of them were affected with the yellows, 

 they found a ready market at fair prices. There have been times when they 

 have shipped more peaches than are now sold from the whole of Western Mich- 

 igan. If we take into account the great increase in population and wealth west 

 of us, and the great improvement in the times, it does not seem as if the mar- 

 ket would soon be overstocked. Mrs. Wood hull said we were small growers 

 yet as compared with Maryland and New Jersey. They continued to cultivate 

 the peach, and made it profitable. Some one suggested that they had larger 

 and better markets. The Secretary said that while this was true, they were as 

 good as they would be, while ours had just begun to develop. Mr. Taylor 



