REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 287 



INGHAM COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PREPARED BY EZRA JOKES, SECRETARY. 



The officers of this society for the year 1881 are as follows: 

 President — Prof. W. J. Beal, Lansing. 

 Vice President — W. H. Overholt, Mason. 

 Secretary — C. B. Stebbins, Lansing. 

 treasurer — Mrs. Daniel L. Case, Lansing. 



March Meeting — Organization. 



The call to organize a county horticultural society, notwithstanding the 

 inclement weather on Saturday afternoon, brought together a goodly number 

 of ladies and gentlemen. They met at the rooms of the State pioneer society 

 and were called to order at 2 o'clock by Prof. W. J. Beal, who stated briefly 

 the reason for issuing the call, and nominated for temporary chairman Wm. 

 Van Buren, who was also made permanent chairman. 



Secretary Charles W. Garfield occupied a few moments discussing the 

 matter of 



HOME BUILDING, 



and the importance of organized effort in creating an interest in developing 

 more attractive and beautiful homes indoors and about the house. He illus- 

 trated the growth of civilization and culture as connected with the increased 

 attention given to homes and their attributes, by examples from savage nomadic 

 habits as contrasted with the unity and love brought out in the development of 

 our best homes. Michigan, he maintained, was a State standing at the very 

 head in its advantages for home building on account of being out of debt, its 

 climatic peculiarities, its cultivated people, variety of fruits and trees, and 

 products of the soil. He gave a short history of the Michigan pomological 

 society, and a statement of its present methods of work, closing with an appeal 

 for the organization here of a branch society which should make its proceed- 

 ing a part of the annual pomological report, and thus render the volumes of 

 greater value to the people of Ingham county. 

 Ezra Jones read a short and interesting paper on 



STRAWBERRY GROWING,* 



advocating good care, rich soil, and love for the work, as indispensable to suc- 

 cess in growing the best varieties. He named Seth Boyden and Duncan as 

 berries of very high quality. The best fertilizers he had found to be wood 

 ashes and a mixture of hen manure and good earth. He made two applica- 

 tions, one at the time of blossoming, and one immediately after fruiting. 

 In preparation of soil he urged thorough drainage and subsoiling, but would 

 not bring the subsoil to the surface. The best varieties, to succeed well, must 

 be grown in hills and the runners kept off. By this method the stools would 

 spread out and large crops could be harvested. 



* This paper appears in full in the Secretary's Portfolio. 



