AMONG THE ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS. 145 



©ats and peas mixed the present season. The health, vigor, and form of these 

 trees was as near perfection as could be desired. Select the finest and beet 

 formed tree your fancy indicated, and it would be no more than a fair sample 

 ©fall the rest. Next adjoining was the pear orchard of twelve acres. A part 

 has been planted six years, some three years, and the balance two years. The 

 rarieties are mostly Bartlett, Sheldon, and Beurre d'Anjou. This latter Mr. 

 Parnielee regards as too feeble a grower. A few other sorts, such as Flemish 

 Beauty, Seckel, etc., make up the balance in varieties. This orchard was a 

 beauty; I doubt if a finer one, all things considered, can be found in the State; 

 it reminded one of the celebrated Yeonians orchard, of Walworth, IST. Y., in its 

 best days, except those were dwarfs and this orchard is all standard trees. The 

 cherry orchards have been planted three years; fifty trees each of Elton and 

 English Morello. They produced a large crop of wheat this season and made 

 a heavy growth of wood. They w^re twice the size of trees usually set the 

 same length of time. Your committee unhesitatingly pronounced them the 

 finest 100 trees they had ever seen in one plat; symmetrical in form and in 

 perfect health. Surely Mr. Parmelee must have an artist's eye to render his 

 trees to such perfection in form. Mr. Parmelee's entire orchard contains 120 

 acres in one body, no division fences intervening. 



The plum orchard of Mr. Barney was next attended to. There were fifty 

 trees, in two rows sixteen feet apart, and eight feet apart in the rows ; much 

 too close; evidently planted with a view of removing every alternate tree in 

 the row, which cannot be done now without destroying the trees removed. It 

 had better be done, however, and the sooner the better. The Eansom process 

 for trapping the curculio, so much in practice at South Haven and along the 

 Lake Shore, is the only system practiced here. In the absence of the owner 

 we had no means of ascertaining the varieties. The trees were healthy, vig- 

 orous, and of large size for the time planted, being set five years. 



Next in order was the plum orchard of Mr. McCallum. This contained two 

 acres, set five years, and twenty feet apart each way ; a much better orchard 

 than the one last mentioned. The cultivation had been much neglected the 

 present season ; it had been planted to corn and squashes, and the crop appar- 

 ently left to care for itself. A prolific growth of weeds was the consequence. 

 We were informed that the owner was building two houses, superintending the 

 Alden drying house of Reynolds & Tracy, and had, besides, much other busi- 

 ness on hand, — too many irons in the fire. 



William Marshall has the finest bearing apple orchard found on the Penin- 

 sula; has been planted thirteen years and contains ten acres, nearly square. 

 There were four rows of Golden Eussets, four of Baldwin, four of Greening, 

 and the balance mostly of the best standard sorts. This orchard was thor- 

 oughly cultivated, without cropping, and in addition the trees were heavily 

 mulched with coarse litter. Mr. Marshall has found that a crop of grain grown 

 in his orchard has always been at the expense of the crop of fruit. The trees 

 this season were bending to the ground with their loads of most perfect fruit. 

 The Golden Russet is in great perfection and evidently the " boss" apple in this 

 locality. We were informed that the four rows of Golden Russets had proved 

 of greater profit up to the present time than all the balance of the orchard. 

 We set this orchard down as the nearest perfection of any found yet, if we ex- 

 cept Smith's of Ionia. Order reigns supreme here, — garden, orchard, field, and 

 forest have suffered in no respect for want of attention at the hands of William 

 Marshall. 



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