608 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



MUSKEGON AND OCEANA COUNTIES. 



Ill accordance "with usage and our constitution, I herewitli present our report 

 for the year 1878. In tracing tlie history of the past year we find much to 

 encourage us as a society to future efforts, and much by which we can profit. 

 Our Agricultural Society held its first fair at Whitehall, October 1st to 4th in- 

 clusive. The exhibition in nearly all respects was a success, especially for a 

 new county, and the first fair for the society. Fine horses, fine cattle, fine 

 fruits, a good display of things useful and ornamental, and a large attendance 

 is the general summing up for the year. The entries were nearly two hundred 

 in number, and the receipts amounted to ^4:51.15. Expenses, including pre- 

 miums paid ^240.14. The society numbers 163 member, but as yet have no 

 grounds of their own. In addition to this sum they have about $83 worth of 

 lumber snugly piled for erection of buildings another season. 



The officers elected for 1879 are President, A. Mears; Secretary, C. P. Near- 

 pass ; Treasurer, E. M. Ruggles. 



Our society is known as the White Lake Agricultural and Industrial Society, 

 and embraces the northern portion of Muskegon and southern portion of Oceana 

 counties. We are in what is termed the famous fruit belt, which is well known 

 to be favorable to peaches. Already considerable attention is being given to 

 the cultivation of peaches, grapes and small fruits, which grow and thrive to 

 perfection. It is a well known fact that Lake Michigan exerts an influence on 

 the adjacent country which is worthy of more careful investigation by horticul- 

 turists than is now known or realized by the majority of fruit growers. The 

 spring finds Lake Michigan a mass of water nearly covered with floating ice. 

 The effect of this floating ice is to retard the season and prevent the early season 

 and prevent the early expansion of buds, and not until summer weather is fairly 

 established and danger of frosts over, does the water of Lake Michigan become 

 warm so as to melt the ice and permit the expansion of the fruit buds. As the 

 season advances the water of the lake warms by the influence of the sun's rays, 

 and is much less changeable in its temperature than the land breezes. It warms 

 slowly, but wiien warmed, it retains the heat proportionately witli its depth and 

 volume. The effect of this warm condition of the lake water is to prevent sud- 

 den changes in tlie atmosphere. In the forenoon the breeze is usually towards 

 the lake, and in the afternoon a lake breeze comes over the land, modifying the 

 temperature and making tlie hottest days of July and August pleasant and 

 agreeable, while in the fall it jn-olongs summer beyond the period of killing frosts. 

 Its breezes constantly temper the winds, it remaining substantially open during 

 the entire winter, making a difference during every cold period of from ten to 

 twenty degrees in our favor. 



The soil is greatly diversified, some portions being rich alluvial, with clay 

 subsoil, others loam, light sand and again heavy clay. The timber is of all 

 epialities, pine, hemlock, oak, beech, maple, basswood, elm, black cherry, etc., 

 etc. An erroneous idea is entertained by many concerning the character of 

 the soil on which the pine is found. Many have the impression that nothing 

 can be raised on this light sand, but even where pine is almost the only timber 

 upon tlie ground, it has been found that the soil is capable of producing excel- 

 lent returns to the agriculturist. Our wheat is of the best quality, our peaches 

 bring the highest price in the market, and our potatoes often command an 

 advance of ten cents in the Chicago and Wisconsin markets. 



