46 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The report of the committee to which was referred the drafts of yellows 

 and black-knot laws, here made report, and their findings were adopted, 

 Mr. MuNSON suggesting a provision for a county commissioner to see that 

 township and city commissioners do their duty. 



Thursday Morning Session. 



The final session of the meeting began with Mr. C. J. Monroe in the 

 chair. The initial subject was opened by the reading, by the secretary, 

 of the subjoined paper, by Mr. Thomas L. Brown of Grandville, upon 



TRUCK FARMING IN MIC FUG AN. 



Those unaccustomed to market scenes in Grand Rapids can form but a 

 faint idea of the amount or quality of the garden products that daily 

 change hands in this great central market. A favorable combination of 

 circumstances in every particular branch is the cause. In the first place, 

 the position of the city is such as to make it a great distributing point. 

 Blest wuth railroads and rival express companies, her perishable goods 

 are daily and easily sent in all directions, while the whole of the country 

 north, which is rapidly gaining in population, relies upon Grand Rapids 

 for its supply of early fruits and vegetables. During the past five years 

 the number of new growers has so largely increased upon our market that 

 the old growers look about in astonishment and say, "Where are we?" 

 Diversified cropping is generally practiced, with here and there a special- 

 ist like Jebb, with his twenty acres of celery, and others with celery and 

 onions. The problem of a city market is still seriously pressing itself on 

 grower and citizen alike. 



NEED OF A MARKET-PLACE IN GRAND RAPIDS. 



In his address before the Farmers' club and Grand River Valley Hor- 

 ticultural society, President Joseph A. Pearce vividly described the need 

 of a market by asking, " What would be the result should a fire occur in 

 the immediate vicinity of our present meeting place? What a fearful 

 holocaust would there be enacted in case of an actual fire in that quarter! 

 The entwines would be powerless to assist, for they could not possibly make 

 through the street." At that meeting it was thought the "Island could be 

 secured; here was the only feasible place, the bridge project having been 

 abandoned on account of the limited amount of space possible to afford. 

 This matter is now under advisement to the common council, and it is 

 hoped some good may come from the many efforts of ours and kindred 

 societies." 



The country immediately tributary to Grand Rapids is so diversified in 

 character of soil as to make it possible to bring all kinds of vegetables to 



