THE ^nCEIGAN PEACH BELT. 229 



pears and plams in rows both ways between, and alio a few qninces. These 

 trees were purchased in part of "Buffalo Xarsery" and part of Mcintosh & 

 Co., of Cleveland. The Crawford peaches were then a new thing to both those 

 nurseries, and no trees could be had of those sorts, except in the dormant bud. 

 I bought in the bud two of each, of each of the two nurseries, and the fall of 

 the same season I was able to bud largely from those eight Crawford trees. I 

 think that was the beginning of Crawford peach culture in Western Michigan. 

 The next year Capt. Boughton sec near St. Joseph village 130 trees, not as Mr. 

 Winslow in his "History of St. Joseph" says, "more as an experiment than 

 the expectation of making much profit." I believe every man, if decently 

 successful, likes to have the credit of not blundering into his business. Mr. 

 Winslow forgot that those were davs of small things. 



In 1S55 Mr. Boughton set out seven acres more. In 1S49 I set a few more 

 trees near the old log house. Those were Morris* Eed Eareripe and BeUegarde. 

 Iq the spring of ISoO I set as I suppose the first Crawford orchard ever 

 planted in the Fruit Belt, raised from the eight trees set in the dormant bud 

 two years before, setting of different varieties about four acres. In 1S51 I set 

 two and a half acres more. In ISoO (I think it was), Mr. E. Morton put out 

 something of a peach orchard in addition to his fence corner trees, and shortly 

 after Dr. Talman Wheeler set what is known as the Teetzel orchard. At this 

 time nearly all the older farms had seedling trees bearing, and those men who 

 had a surplus above their own wants began to sell at what they thought good 

 prices. It was not until after Mr. Boughton and I sold choice peacties from 

 our imported trees that there was much else than seedling trees planted or 

 budded trees from the better class of local seedlings. The St. Joseph Yellow 

 Eareripe, or Pike peach, was Mr. Morton's favorite sort, so much so that for 

 several years it was usually called Morton's Yellow Eareripe, and it was a 

 profitable peach with him. He and I both raised Hill's Chili from pits from 

 the McKeyes trees. 



The first great impettis to peach planting was given when I contracted my 

 first considerable peach crop for #1,500, to be delivered in St Joseph. Money 

 was scarce in those days, and for such a sum to be raised off a small farm was 

 a very great wonder. The report went over the c-ountry, and was magnified 

 ridiculously ; but it did its work, though my contractors failed in a way to 

 subject me to a serious loss. From those days advancement has been rapid, 

 and every town on the lake shore now has its peach history. 



