PROCEEDINGS OF KINDRED SOCIETIES. 257 



peaches we had none. I think the main advantage of the lake shore is 

 late springs and late falls. W e usually have late frosts but this year we 

 had frosts in September. Still we feel encouraged in the present pros- 

 pects. Fruit trees of all kinds never ripened their wood better, and if we 

 have no worse weather this year than last we are sure of a good crop and 

 perhaps good prices. 



O. Beebe: The strawberry crop was excellent; but many later kinds of 

 small fruit dried up. We had plenty of dried fruits but no peaches. 

 Pears blossomed full, nearly all dropped their fruit; the same with apples 

 and plums. I had a good croi) of grapes. The Worden set well and grew 

 half-size, then dropped off, and I would like to know the reason. 



Mr. Sherburn of Hartford: In apples we were favored. We shipped 

 and dried thirty or forty carloads and our grapes were very fine. 



W. A. Smith, Benton Harbor: I live so near the head of the lake we 

 could not expect good crops of ajjples, peaches, or pears and we did not 

 have them. However, we had a good crop of grax^es and we must dex^end 

 on providence for the future. 



R. Morrill: We commenced with the strawberry crop, which was a good 

 one and well grown. It was cool up to the commencement of harvest, 

 then the hot weather ripened them xip rapidly. We shiiDioed 100,000 

 crates in ten days when we should have taken twenty, which broke the 

 market. We had only a half crop of raspberries, but 65,000 crates of 

 blackberries, and 50,000 cases of muskmelons which were very jjrofitable, 

 and the grape croj) was good. Peaches, nothing; apx)les and pears very 

 poor. The wood of all sorts has ripened well and bids fair for a good 

 crop next year. 



W. A. Brown: Our fruit crop was not much different from what has 

 been reported. We had too many strawberries for the market. The price 

 was so low that thousands and thousands of cases were left to rot on the 

 ground. Raspberries and blackberries were a poor croj); grapes rotted 

 badly, one half or two thirds rotted. I think this rotting is working 

 north. Apples were a poor croj). I had some forty or fifty baskets of 

 peaches and Mr. Dunham had about 500 baskets, nearly all there were in 

 Berrien county. I visited Oceana county, where they had a fine crop of 

 Alexander and Hale peaches, then nothing until Smock. I saw but four 

 Crawfords. They estimated that they had a quarter of a crop. In former 

 years Oceana county had crojas when Allegan and Van Buren had none, 

 and I think it the most favorable of any on the lake shore. One reason is 

 that the seasons are not so severe. 



W. H. HuRLBUT was asked why the fruit was i^oor and small in the off 

 years. He said, I can not tell the reason, but my observation is that when 

 we have a light croj) it is likely to be small, scabby, and inferior in size 

 and flavor. I think the same causes operate and prevent a full crop. 



Mr. BoGUE, Batavia, N. Y.: The crop of fruit in our country was 

 nearly a failure. As is well known, the apple crop is the leading one with 

 us, but this year there were scarcely any in our section. Pears and plums 

 were some better. Of grapes we are x)lanting largely, especially Niagara. 

 We are trying to grow fruit for a xDurj)ose, and we are trying to adapt the 

 fruit to the locality. The jDrospect seems doubtful. In some of the apj^le 

 orchards the leaves look as if struck with a blight, or as though the fire 

 had run through them. The east and Canada is our best market for 

 grapes. I can not recommend the Empire State only for having a variety, 



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