356 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



GRAND mVER VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Reported by Thos. L. Brown, Secretary. 



The following directors of the Grand River Valley Horticultural soci- 

 ety met in executive session in the parlors of the Grand Rapids Savings 

 bank; The president of the society, Chas. W. Garfield, T. L. Brown, 

 Edmund Manly, Thomas Wilde, and Rev. John Sailor. A schedule of 

 topics for discussion was decided upon for each month, as follows: 

 Apples: Varieties to plant; selection of garden requisites from catalogues; 

 culture of vegetables; where to obtain the best stock; help, indoors and 

 out; top-grafting; sweet corn and peas, and best methods of preserving 

 them; selection of fruit-tree stock; strawberries; desirable aspects of 

 rural life; raspberry notes; ornamental trees and shrubs; how to make 

 lawns; the apple orchard; varieties to plant, methods of marketing and 

 gathering; best methods of preserving vegetables; economy in the utili- 

 zation of fruits for family use; heat and ventilation for our homes. 



FEBRUARY MEETING. 



The February meeting was held in the supervisors' room in the city 

 hall, Grand Rapids. About one hundred persons were in attendance. 

 The large table contained some fine specimens of apples. Spies, Green- 

 ings, Grimes' Golden, Shiawassee Beauty, Baldwins, Wageners, and Rus- 

 sets. Branches of peaches were exhibited, and those least accustomed to 

 borrow trouble predicted a very light crop of peaches for 1890. Branches 

 of blackberries also showed the effect of the extremes of heat and cold they 

 were being subjected to. 



The topic for discussion was, " The apple: desirable varieties to plant." 

 The following report was made by W. N. Cook: "Your committee was 

 appointed about one year ago to consider the question, ' Which are the 

 best varieties of apple for market,' having in view the prime considera- 

 tion of quality. This question was asked by the president of the society, 

 who called attention to the fact that our market was supplied with south- 

 ern fruit. The thought was that by proper selection of our best sorts and 

 proper methods of caring for and placing on the market, we ought to 

 reverse this condition and reduce the competition to the use of fruit for 

 dessert only. Your committee are of the unanimous opinion that none 

 but the very best of our late keepers should be recommended by our 

 society; and as indicated, the committee notes the following varieties as 

 best: First, Northern Spy; second. Red Canada; third, Jonathan; fourth, 

 R. I. Greening; fifth. King. Of the newer sorts, Shiawassee Beauty and 

 Grimes' Golden; of sweet apples, Talman, Bailey, and Green Sweet. The 

 Baldwin is not included in the list, because it is inferior as a dessert fruit 

 and the tree is tender, not able to stand the cold as the other sorts." 



To comply with a request of Prof. L. R. Taft, for twelve best sorts, the- 

 Baldwin and Roxbury Russet were added. A long discussion followed 

 the report of the committee, and the merits and demerits in detail of each 

 and every variety were fully discussed. 



