453 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



AT THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Old Missioif, Feb. 16th, 1874-. 



The clnb met at 6^} p. m., the vice president, Mr. Marshall, in the chair. 



The chairman called on Mr. Piirmelee to favor the meeting with the inci- 

 dents connected with his recent journey. That gentleman read the following 

 report : 



If I should give you an account of my visit to the American Institute 

 Farmers' Club and not speak first of the good will manifested by oflBcers and 

 members to strangers visiting them, I should wrong them and my own feelings 

 also. For a great many years they have kept up their meetings and have been 

 a headquarters for farmers visiting the cit}-. They are as far as possible from 

 being a " secret" society, but no such society treats its members with more 

 courtesy than that club does their brotherhood Irom abroad. 



It had been a marvel to me that they kept so long the old figure head, "N, 

 0. Ely, chairman," but I see through it now : they have no occasion to change. 

 He is a man of to-day, and not a relic of the past. Their secretary is paid a 

 salary of $3,000 a year, which gives them a good man. Their plan is to have 

 subjects introduced in written form, as much as possible, to promote brevity 

 and to facilitate correct reports. The discussions following the papers are not 

 fully reported, except when some important facts are brought out. 



The prevailing notion that difference of products in various localities is at- 

 tributable to varying soils, is so universal that I thought it a good time to il- 

 lustrate, to some extent, the fact that climate is all important in attaining cer- 

 tain desirable results. A gentleman present referred to the report of a com- 

 mittee of the United States Pomological Society at their meeting in Boston, 

 which set forth that iron in the soil was the cause of diversity in color; and 

 he thought we must have plenty of iron in our soil. It was well met by a 

 farmer from Orange county, who said if that was the case, they ought to raise 

 very beautiful apples, as their soil was nearly all impregnated with it. 



You are aware that the soils of this region, as well as the springs here, are 

 almost wholly free from indications of iron ; and like the Orange county man, 

 I could refer to my old farm in the south part of this State, on which I had a 

 bed of bog ore and most of the soil showed it plainly, but it did not produce 

 those colors. As we, in Northern Michigan, are more nearly circled in by the 

 great lakes and have, in addition, our numerous smaller inland waters, so we 

 have somewhat less rainfall in summer, and more blue sky and powerful sun- 

 light. 



The freedom of our apples from worms was a matter of surprise, they are 

 so accustomed to finding the moth in them; but to see specimens of Maiden's 

 Blush, Alexander and Fall Pippin in perfect condition in the month of Feb- 

 ruary, without extra care in keeping, and after being trundled over a thousand 

 miles of rail, was evidently a new thing to all. 



The fact that our winter apples go through to late spring or early summer, 

 without loss or extra care, was almost forgotten in the interest manifested in 

 the red cheeks of the Rhode Island Greenings, Eoxbury Ptussets, Swaars and 

 Fall Pippins, showing that men are still disposed to set beauty before utility. 



Many questions were asked as to our climate and productions, and in the 

 informal discussion apple production in the eastern States was discouragingly 

 spoken of on account of insect enemies. Dr. Trimble, of New Jersey, who is 



