SA.UGATUCK AJ^'D GANGES. 193 



seekers who delight in climbing the hills, descending into the valleys, passing 

 along the natural avenues, tarrying in the charming nooks and pleasant dells, 

 and listening to the music of the waves and the birds. 



WATER PRIVILEGES. 



The water privileges of this region are numerous. Silver Lake is a long arm 

 of Kalamazoo Lake, as long, but not so wide as the lake itself; the Kalamazoo 

 River has some sixteen miles of navigable frontage. Goshorn Lake, on north 

 line of Saugatuck township, supplies both mill and tannery ; Lake Hutchin- 

 Bon, in Ganges, is the head-water of Black River, which waters six sections of 

 land in that township. It is a beautiful lake, surrounded by well cultivated 

 farms. Numerous springs and streams are found in every direction, scarcely 

 a quarter section of land being without its living water-course. These streams 

 and lakes often modify the effect of the eastern winds, over which the great 

 lake can have only a secondary effect. They can, in some cases, be made 

 available for irrigation, and will probably make cranberry culture a profitable 

 pursuit in this region. 



THE FARMS AN"D ORCHARDS, 



By invitation of the Lake Shore Agricultural and Pomological Society, 

 which has its headquarters at Douglas, and which meets alternately at Doug- 

 las and near Pier Cove, I recently visited this region and prepared for publica- 

 tion a pamphlet, giving some account of this interesting fruit region. In that 

 report I have made note of about 1G3 farms and gardens, showing what has 

 already been accomplished. From that report I make the following extracts : 



THE PREMIUM ORCHARD. 



Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son have the honor of owning the forty acres on 

 the southwest side of Kalamazoo Lake. Two and one-half acres in grapes, 

 planted eight feet apart, in 1869; the first crop, in 1872, consisted of a ton 

 of Concords; in 1873 all varieties bore, aggregating ten tons. Less than an 

 acre of Concords bore more than five tons. The other varieties are Dianas, 

 Jonas, Hartford Prolifics, Ives' Seedlings, and some Rebeccas and Salems. The 

 Concords are the heaviest and surest bearers. lonas and Dianas do not ripen 

 io early here as further from Lake Michigan. The orchard being close to the 

 lake shore, and partially sheltered by hills, the air is cooler in summer than 

 further inland. The falling off of the Hartford grapes, Mr. Williams thinks, 

 can be in a measure obviated by pinching back and thinning out the bunches. 

 The Hartfords sell readily for Concords in the market, and fetch a better price, 

 as they market before Concords can be marketed. The Delawares, for the past 

 three years, were badly injured by the cut-worm, but after that they made 

 good growth, and came into good bearing. Planted 600 peach trees in 1867, 

 850 in 1869, and 2,000 since, filling up vacancies; making the present an 

 orchard of about 3,000 peach trees. Those planted in 1867 and ]869 pro- 

 duced 5,500 baskets in 1874, notwithstanding many of them had died from 

 various causes. The peaches consist of Early and" Late Crawford, Jacques* 

 Rareripe, Early Barnard, Old Mixon, Hill's Chili. Old Mixon and Jacque's 

 Rareripe proved the most profitable peaches. Jacques' Rareripe was most 

 profitable while young, but Old Mixon became more profitable as it gained in 

 age. The Early Barnard coming in with the Early Crawford, is less profitable 

 than it would be without that formidable rival. Seventy-five Hale's Early did 



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