314 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MICHIGAN FRUIT LIST. 



L. E. TAFT. 



Bulletin No. 105.- — Horticultural Department. 



With the long list of varieties found in the fruit catalogues of our State 

 and National horticultural societies, and the even more confusing ones in 

 the nurserymen's list, it becomes a difficult matter to make a desirable 

 selection, unless a person has a definite knowledge of the varieties that 

 succeed best in the locality where he lives. 



While a few varieties seem to thrive in nearly all sections, others, that 

 may be very valuable in some localities, are nearly worthless elsewhere, 

 owing to the unsuitable conditions of climate or soil. It will be impossible, 

 then, for any one list to suit the wants of all persons. In order to learn 

 the opinion of the growers in the different sections of the state as to the 

 best varieties for their respective localities, a circular was last summer 

 sent to some two hundred fruitgrowers asking their aid in the preparation 

 of a fruit list for Michigan. The circular contained the last fruit list for 

 this state issued by the American Pomological society, and the varieties 

 there given were marked by the correspondents with various symbols to 

 indicate their value for the different localities. In several instances the 

 lists were considered by the local horticultural societies, and votes were 

 taken to determine the mark that should be given them. 



The symbols used to indicate the value of the different varieties were as 

 follows: two stars (**) when they were generally successful in the particu- 

 lar locality and were worthy of being placed in every list; one star (*) 

 for varieties that were less generally successful and that were of less value 

 than those given two stars; a dagger (f) indicated new and promising 

 varieties and a dash ( — ) that the varieties were of no value and should 

 be stricken from the list. A great difference of opinion was noticed in 

 the returns, as, in a few cases, varieties were given two stars by some 

 persons while others in the same county marked them with a dash. As 

 a rule, however, a remarkable unanimity of opinion was shown, not only 



