PROCEEDINGS OF THE SUMMER MEETING. 



HELD IN SHELBY, OOEANA COUNTY, JUNE 14-15, 1893. 



At Shelby, Oceana county, tlie 14th and 15th, was held the summer 

 meeting o£ the State Horticultural society, and a highly valuable season 

 it proved to be. The attendance was very large, for such a busy time for 

 the farmers, the largest the society has had in many years at a summer 

 meeting. A comfortable hall was provided, and the people of Shelby and 

 vicinity supplied everything needful to the comfort and pleasure of the 

 visitors. One of the prettiest features of the occasion was the abundance 

 of lovely flowers provided, some of them, by Prof. L. B. Taft, from the 

 grounds and greenhouse of the Agricultural college, but hundreds more 

 by the ladies of Shelby. There was an exhibit of half a dozen or more 

 varieties of apple, by Mr. W. B. Andruss of Allegan, all in good state of 

 preservation though not kept by cold storage. 



President Lyon called to order at nine o'clock a. m. of the 14th, and 

 requested Vice-President Morrill to preside, which he did, throughout 

 the meeting. 



First in order was a paper by Benton Gebhart of Hart, hereto 

 appended, upon 



HORTICULTURE OF OCEANA COUNTY. 



Horticulture in Oceana county, you may truthfully say, it is about 

 everywhere — in every nook and corner. Not only is the culture of choice 

 fruits practiced by nearly all who till the soil as a common occupation, 

 but the birds of the fields and lofty woodlands seem to proclaim, with 

 their sweet songs and tones of praise, of horticulture everywhere — horti- 

 culture on the hill tops, horticulture in the valleys, horticulture in the vil- 

 lage lots and places of business. So is horticulture, or growing of fruit, a 

 common study and delight with all. 



In giving you a few points as to fruit culture in Oceana county, I need 

 not dwell on our grand climate and natural lay of the land; nor the variety 



