133 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



" markotcr.? " uUow tlirco and four days to intevvciic l)ct\vccii pickings, and 

 berries uhich may be too hard or too soft are excluded. 



liaspherries. 



The Doolittle Black and the Pinladelphia lied were extensively planted in 

 the Lake Shore country, about the year 18G5, and several large crops being 

 produced in succession, the market was over supplied and a decreased produc- 

 tion ensued. Other varieties have been introduced, and the supply is usually 

 fully adequate to the demand. Extreme warm damp weather at the time of 

 marketing has a very depressing iniluence upon the condition of the market, 

 as this fruit will mass and mould during such weather, before it can be con- 

 sumed in distant markets. The Mammoth Cluster is now the favorite black 

 variety. The Kirtland is a very early berry, bears transportation better than 

 other varieties, and with tiie requisite thorough cultivation has proved quite 

 remunerative. The Clark has been planted extensively, but will not produce 

 sufticient to pay for cultivation, and has therefore been abandoned. The Her- 

 stine is a fine large berry, but is only half-hardy, and is not extensively culti- 

 vated. The Philadelphia has been the principal variety grown, but the fruit 

 is poor and soft; the old plantations have died out from natural causes. The 

 Turner has been planted extensively during the past two years. This is not as 

 prolific as the Philadelphia, but is a very handsome, light-red berry, and will 

 probably retain the first place as a market berry, until superseded by a new 

 and better variety. Dried raspberries command good prices, and surplus 

 products of this fruit are being utilized by different modes of evaporation. 



Conclusion. 



As a detailed and elaborate description of different modes of cultivation, 

 pruning, insect enemies, etc., will occupy too much space for this paper, I will 

 conclude this subject with a brief notice of the wild fruits of the county. 



In the year 1861 nearly all of the Lake Shore fruit region was occupied by 

 dense forests. The light soils in the vicinity of the lake were interspersed with 

 large acres of wintergreen vines, whortleberry bushes, and a few marshes con- 

 tiguous to the lake produced excellent varieties of cranberries ; giant grape- 

 vines hung pendant from the highest trees ; tangled masses of vines formed 

 huge canopies over deep, dark ravines. Wild pigeons, pheasants, and turkeys 

 partook of the wild fruits — unmolested and unforbidden. No wild blackber- 

 ries were found in the unbroken forests ; and no raspberry canes were found 

 by the early settlers. With the advent of the fruit grower, and the cultivation 

 of these fruits, the seeds were disseminated by birds, and wherever the wood- 

 man's axe, or fire, let in the light of the sun, wild berries came into existence. 

 The extensive range of steep, cone-like hills, which border the lake south from 

 the Grand Mar several miles, were overrun by the great fire of 1871, and 

 almost denuded of the dense under-growth and heavy timber, thus preparing 

 the soil for the wild berries which soon covered the hills. Many of the wild 

 berries are seedlings from cultivated varieties, and a few wild plants have been 

 selected which may prove of value to small fruit cultivators. During prolific 

 seasons hundreds of people find remunerative employment in gathering wild 

 fruits and shipping them to Chicago market. The best cranberry marshes 

 have been purchased by intelligent cultivators, and the crops are being largely 

 augmented by cultivation and propagation. The wintergreen berry is imper- 

 vious to summer's heat or winter's cold, and many hundreds of cases are gath- 

 ered during the winter and spring months, and sent to the Chicago market. 



