4G STATE IIOHTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



for proclucin.f? fine fruit began to be understood. The fact that peaches and 

 other fruits flourished and survived the severest winters was discovered by the 

 early pioneers, and scientists demonstrated the plienomena of water protection. 

 About the year ISGO horticulturists were attracted to tlie new fruit Eldorado 

 from the cast and west, and from the older parts of Michigan. Many of the 

 new comers were experienced fruit-growers, and familiar with practical modes 

 of culture, and planted varieties which had succeeded in other localities. 

 Others came with crude ideas of fruit culture; they studied foreign books 

 which taught the science of the business, and looked with contempt upon 

 their neighbors who would not denude the trees and vines of their foliage, that 

 the sun might ripen the fruit. Many costly lessons were learned before local 

 pomological societies were organized, and fruit growers began to learn the 

 causes of success and failure. Trees became known by their fruits, and thou- 

 sands of worthless varieties were cut down and cast into the fire. 



In the Michigan lake shore country the most of the pioneer fruit growers 

 were men well advanced in years ; but few were too old to learn ; and as the 

 fruit interests developed in different localities, societies were formed and the 

 numerous questions connected with their avocation intelligibly discussed. 



The work of this section was almost exclusively pomological ; what to plant, 

 modes of culture, adaptability of soil to certain purposes, insect enemies, 

 markets, fruit packages, and trans^iortation were questions that could not be 

 solved without cooperation. Constant changes occur which may affect any or 

 all of these questions, and the ground must be gone over and over again, and 

 still the end is not reached. 



To isolated communities of fruit growers the question of transportation is a 

 serious one; they must make the business of sufficient magnitude to pay 

 transportation companies before they can expect clieap rates. If land and 

 water lines compete, give the whole business to the route which is most prompt, 

 speedy, and reliable. Horticultural societies '^ all along the line" can make 

 favorable terms where individuals would fail. The State of Michigan should 

 be proud of, and grateful to, the State Horticultural Society for persistent 

 and indefatigable efforts in fostering and rendering prominent the fruit grow- 

 ing interests of the State. Organized by a few disinterested horticulturists 

 who foresaw the magnitude of our fruit interests, and who manifested their 

 confidence in the permanency of the society by tlie bestowal of the life mem- 

 bership fund, the State society has worked faitlifully, until the State no longer 

 ignores the utility of tlie efforts of the society in developing one of the greatest 

 industries of the State. During the pioneer days of horticultural and fruit 

 growers' associations, the efforts of the State society were not fully appreciated 

 by many of our local societies. The recent adoption of tlie local societies by 

 the "parent" society has, however, removed all cause of jealousy, and the 

 meetings of the State society in bringing together representative workers from 

 all parts of the State are resulting in permanent good to horticulture, pomol- 

 ogy, and to resthetical embellishments throughout the State. Agriculture 

 and horticulture have not ranked among the sciences; but the aid of science 

 in develo2)ing the primary and most important sources of wealth and pros- 

 perity has been recognized in our State by the endowment of the State Agri- 

 cultural College. Although tlie faculty of the college have been obliged to do 

 double duty, horticulture has not been neglected at Lansing; and we are glad 

 to observe that many of the graduates are infusing young blood into the veins 

 of our local and State societies. 



While the State has been liberal in printing the State reports and in appro- 



