510 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The secretary said that any sectiou haviog the disease would be sick of it, 

 and glad to get rid of it, and thank ns for our assistance. 



A. S. Dyckman did not believe any locality would try to preserve the yellows ; 

 if any did, he would like the world to know it. Let them stand out uud clear 

 us of the inlamy ; he was in favor of a law without exemption. 



Mr. Hurlbut thought the Legislature would rather pass a whole law than a 

 part of one. 



T. T. Lyon did not like to risk the passage of a general law, and for that 

 reason he thought each locality should elect to come under the law. 



A. S. Dyckman moved the two bills be recommitted to the committee, with, 

 instructions to prepare out of both one bill, without any election clause, whick 

 bill should accompany the memorial, and be sent to the Legislature. Accepted. 



H. E. BID WELL, Secretary. 



STATISTICAL FRUIT REPORT MADE TO THE SECRETARY OF THE STATE 



POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



South Havex, February 5, 1875. 



Dear Sir:— Your letter of inquiry as to the value of the orchard land in 

 Van Buren county was duly received and read before our society, at which 

 time I took an estimate of the value of our orchards,— the comparative yield 

 and net returns for the past three years. To make my report complete I was 

 requested to correspond with the leading fruit growers in the county ; where- 

 upon I addressed the following communication to one hundred of the largest 

 fruit growers in Van Buren : 



" My Dear Siu : — Please inform me, as far as practicable, what you estimate the value 

 of your orchard at per acre ; what is the valuq of the adjoiniug lands? Please give me the 

 comparative extent and yield of your orchard in 1874, compared to 1872-3; also the price 

 realized for the fruit. Please inform me of the proportionate loss, if any, by the winter of 

 1872-3. Are your trees in as healthy and vigorous a condition as in 1872?" 



The reports as to the value of the orchards were variable, — from one hun- 

 dred to one thousand dollars per acre, according to age, variety, and nearness 

 to market. A low average estimate of the bearing apple orchards of the county 

 is two hundred dollars per acre, the peach orchards at three hundred dollars, 

 and the adjoining lands at from twenty-five to fifty dollars per acre. As a 

 "whole, the orchards are in as healthy a condition as in 1872. 



It appears that the winter of 1872-3 injured but a portion of the fruit buds 

 of the apple, so that the yield of fruit in 1872 was less than in 1873 ; but the 

 increased price realized for the same made the net profit greater. In 1874 the 

 yield of apples was greatly increased, so that the net returns were even more 

 than in 1872 or 1873. The peach buds were injured by the cold winter in the 

 eastern portion of the county, while in the western portion the crop was good, 

 and the net returns were unusually large. 



Allowing nearly 5,000 acres for the 145 small lakes that dot the county of 

 Van Buren, and the waste surface of the Paw Paw, Black, and other small 

 streams, which cross in their meanderings nearly one-half of all the sections 

 of land, there would remain four hundred thousand acres of land, one-third of 

 ■which is suitable for apple orchards and one-third for peach orchards, leaving 



