366 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The Stark, also, tliougli but recently introduced, promises, from its hardi- 

 ness, productiveness, fair size, and long keeping qualities, to be an acquisition. 

 But it is too soon, however, to speak with confidence of its value. 



While the above are the only varieties of long keeping shipping apples tliat, 

 from my somewhat i)rotracted experience, 1 feel safe to recommend for plant- 

 ing largely in this part of the State, many will be surprised, perhaps, that the 

 list is so short, that I do not include such a variety as the Ehode Island Green- 

 ing, an apple that has stood for half a century, or more, at the head of this 

 list, in the best apple-growing regions of the east, and that in many parts of 

 the west is still held to be one of the profitable sorts to plant for market 

 purposes. 



My answer is, with me it Avill not bear one-fifth as much as either of the 

 foregoing, and I believe that my experience is the experience of nearly all 

 planters in southern or southwestern Michigan. 



That it is a valuable sort, a degree or two further north, is more than probable, 

 but here it must be given up, except possibly in some few favored localities, as 

 a standard sort for the market. 



It will continue to be grown as an amateur fruit and for family use, and this 

 leads me to say a word or two in regard to the needs of a family orchard. 

 While it should include all the above, it should take in a good many others 

 also, whose chief value is culinary, and aesthetic ratlier than commercial and 

 pecuniary. 



It would make this paper too long for this occasion to attempt even the most 

 select list to cover the whole season for a family orchard. This branch of my 

 subject is ample for a long essay, and Avell worthy of one. 



FORENOON SESSION. 



Mr. F. A. Gullcy, foreman of the Horticultural Department at tlie Agri- 

 cultural College, gave the following address, on 



IMPLEMENTS FOR THE FARM AND GARDEX. 



Those of you who attended the State Fair, held at Detroit last fall, were 

 probably surprised and pleased to see such an immense display of agricultural 

 machinery. There were machines for doing the work in all that pertains to 

 the farm or garden, and some of them made at great expense, and so elaborate 

 that they might be classed with works of art. You, perhaps, may have felt 

 as I did, proud to think our country had produced so many implements to 

 help the farmer. But did it occur to you, who furnished the means to build 

 all those machines, who supported all those agents who endeavored to impress 

 upon you the superiority of their particular machine over all others of its kind, 

 did you remember that the farmers have to foot the entire bill? 



hi the statistics of Michigan for 1870, the cash valuation of farm imple- 

 ments and machinery in this State, is given as $13,500,000, an average of about 

 8120 for each farm in the State. 



The cash value of all the implements is not more than one-half of the orig- 

 inal cost, making the capital invested in them, at least $-^7,000,000. The 

 interest on this amount, at seven per cent per annum, is equal to $1,890,000. 



If we take into consideration the breakage, cost of repairs, and wearing out. 



