AMOXG THE ORCHARDS AXD VINEYARDS. 133 



found the Delaware in such perfection as at this place. Thousands of pounds 

 of premium bunches could have been gathered from these vines at the time of 

 my first visit, September 9th, and enough were remaining on the 22d to satis- 

 fy your committee that this vineyard 'would be hard to excel. Their picking 

 and marketing commenced on September 7th. The city of Battle Creek fur- 

 nished a ready market for their entire crop at ten cents per pound for Delawares, 

 and five cents for Concords. It is worthy of note here to mention the man- 

 ner of preparing and sending this fruit to market. They were marketed in 

 the common peach basket, and great care exercised in picking and handling 

 before taken to the assorting and packing house, then every bunch looked 

 over and all imperfect berries removed before the final packing, each basket 

 weighed to make sure that the full ten pounds were in. Three tons of Dela- 

 wares and one-half as many of other varieties was the product of this season. 



AT BATTLE CEEEK. 



TVe filled an interval of time by visiting several places of interest to horti- 

 culture. Throusfh the kindness of Mr. C. Chilson we were first shown to the 

 fruit farm of Jos. Merritt. The main object was to examine a peach orchard 

 which has suffered to a greater extent by the severe winter of two years ago 

 than any other in that locality. The trees were largely Early Crawfords and 

 planted about eight years. Mr. Merritt prepared about four acres by clearing 

 out the center of a forty-acre forest of second growth oak and hickory, very 

 dense and tall: all the surroundings indicate as good a situation for the peach 

 as can be desired. Xow for the result: Xearly one-half the trees were killed 

 outrisrht, and the balance so nearlv so that after the severe cutting in of the 

 branches the following spring and the excellent care in other respects, by cul- 

 tivation, etc., of the proprietor, they must be counted to-day as nearly worth- 

 less. Compare this orchard, surrounded by forest protection, with the Engle 

 orchards so fully exposed, and the theory of forest protection falls at once. 

 We then drove to the fruit preserving establishment of Helling Brothers. 

 They are extensive fruit dealers in Philadelphia, and are erecting this building 

 for preserving fruit in a green state for the market at any season of the year. 

 The walls are of solid masonry, 30 inches thick. The building is 120 feet long 

 by 50 feet wide, 12 feet in height, clear, for store-room, covered with an iron 

 floor above for ice chambers; its capacity is 10,000 barrels of fruit. The 

 Hellings have for many years noticed the excellent quality of our fruits, and 

 an investment of ¥30,000 in an establishment of this character speaks lotidly 

 in favor of Michisran as a fruit-srowins: State. Xear this establishment were 

 the cider works of Walter S. Hicks, which we found in full blast, three ten- 

 barrel presses of Boomer & Boscher patent in operation, two of which were 

 used for cider and one for pressing over the pomace for vinegar. The large 

 grinder works up 200 bushels of apples per hour. The cider is all double 

 rectified, and the machinery is driven by a ten-horse-power engine. 



From the cider works we drove to the Eiver Side rural home of Jeremiah 

 Brown. Found Mr. Brown absent in the city on our arrival, but the absence 

 of his genial countenance was in a measure made up by the kind reception we 

 met with at the hands of his amiable niece, Miss Sarah Hoeteling, who gave 

 ns full permission to ramble throughout the entire grounds. "We found many 

 things at this place worthy of notice at greater length than we are permitted 

 to give at this time, hoping at some future time we may be able to give an ac- 

 count more worthy of the place. An excellent plat of the Philadelphia rasp- 



