236 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BERRIEN COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORTED BY GEO. F. COMINGS, BECRETARY. 



This society entered upon its second year under somewhat discouraging cir- 

 cumstances; business interests had called its president and secretary to other 

 places, and the last meetings of the year 1881 were almost wholly given up, or 

 attended by a very few ; at the beginning of the year 1882, an earnest effort 

 was made by some of our members to awaken an interest and inaugurate a 

 series ot meetings which should prove interesting and profitable. This effort 

 was attended witii a good degree of success, as the meetings rapidly increased 

 in attendance, and were kept up without any falling off in attendance or 

 interest through the winter or spring. During the summer and fall, the meet- 

 ings have been less frequent and with a smaller attendance, and it seems as if 

 the close of the present year would find us in much the sime poor, dying, 

 state, as was noted one year ago. The otJicers, as a general thing, have been 

 prompt and regular in attendance, and perhaps it would be hard to tell just 

 how we fail of keeping up the interest; perhaps one of the prominent reasons 

 is that the most of us are engaged in growing a variety of small fruit, a busi- 

 ness which, during the summer season, requires the closest attention and 

 activity of him who would succeed in it. For this reason, largely, the culture 

 of mind and sociability is laid aside, and all energies are bent towards the 

 guarding of our delicious fruits from their countless enemies, and developing 

 in them the best and most satisfactory growth of fruit and stalk. 



At the meeting of December 2(3, 1881, the following were elected as officers: 



President — S. Gr. Antisdale, Benton Harbor. 



Vice-Presidents — S. H. Comings, S. Cook, D. N. Brown, H. Merry, J. K. 

 Bishop. 



iSecretarjj and Treasurer — Geo. F. Comings, St. J(>seph. 



There was little done but routine work. S. H. Comings was requested to 

 give a report of the annual meeting of the State society held at South Haven 

 at the next meeting, which was called for January 9, 1882, two weeks later. 



The session of January 9 was well attended, the re])ort of Mr. Comings was 

 listened to with interest, and following it there was a short discussion on pear 

 blight and grape rot, the latter disease having made its appearance in some- 

 what alarming proportions during llie senson then just closed. There was a 

 full account given oi its apjiearances an.l ravages, but little was known as to 

 remedies or preventatives. It was looked upon with grave apprehension by 

 ail, as our county is fast t^ecoming as noted as a fine grape producing section 

 as it once was for fine peaches. 



At the nuetiiig of January 23 the suV)j"Ct of new varieties of fruit was taken 

 up and discussed. Among grapes the NVorden, Brighton, and Moore's Early 

 were highly spoken of by several who had grown tia-m. The Niagara had some 

 friends who luid made airangeiiiL-nts lor jihinling out vineyai\l;5 of it in the 

 spring. Among strawheiries the Sbarplc-bs ami Crescent seemed to be more 

 fully endorsed than any of the other newer varieties; doubt, however, was 

 e.'ipressed as to whether any new kind was yet introduced which would super- 



