534 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



blackberries, good ; apples, fine quality and large quantity ; plums, better than 

 for many years ; quinces, better than last year ; peach crop better than ex- 

 pected at the beginning of the season ; early peaches rotted badly; later varie- 

 ties first-rate quality. The total shipment of fruit this season is 500,118 

 baskets and packages. The First National bank of St. Joseph has paid out 

 over $100,000 this year to fruit growers ; and Hopkins & Jackson, of Benton 

 Harbor, have paid as much more. 



Mr. S. "W. Fowler, of Manistee, furnished a report stating that the interest in 

 fruit growing is constantly increasing in Manistee. Fruit trees are being 

 planted in all parts of the county, and it is rare to see a log cabin without a 

 fair prospect for an orchard. Apples are not wormy, and no insect troubles 

 any description of fruit as far as heard from. The plum is especially free from 

 the curculio. 



M. Charles E. Soule read a report from Spring Lake. The year of 1874 bad 

 been by far the most cheering and successful year the fruit growers in Spring 

 Lake and vicinity have known since their attention has been called to this 

 branch of husbandry. The crop of berries was shortened by the drouth of 

 June and July ; but this did not seriously affect the fruit growers, their main 

 dependence being on peaches, which yielded largely and were of the finest 

 quality. They sold at good remunerative prices. The drouth affected the 

 Hale's Early and Yorks, except where well cultivated and thinned. The rains 

 of August and September brought the Barnards and Early Cravvfords along in 

 their season in greater quantity and of higher excellence than ever known. 

 The Early Crawford is the most extensively grown variety. The average price 

 netted has been about fifty cents a basket, or 12 a bushel. The season demon- 

 strated the necessity of thinning all varieties except the Early Crawford. 

 Grapes have been, as usual, a heavy crop. The orchards are going into winter 

 in fine condition, with a prospect of a large crop in 1875. 



Mr. D. R. Waters read the following report, prepared by James A. Cross of 

 Spring Lake : 



SMALL FRUITS. 



I have 1,560 hills of Doolittle Blackcap raspberries under cultivation ; also 400 hills of 

 other cap varieties, comprising Davison's Thornless, Miami, Seneca and Mammoth Clus- 

 ter. Of red raspberries I cultivate but one variety, the Philadelphia, of which I have 2,680 

 hills now in bearing from five to seven years. I liave besides 2,000 set a year ago last spring. 

 Nearly one-half of these bushes are planted among peach trees that are planted sixteen feet 

 each way, with rows of berries between, — the black planted four feet apart and the red two 

 and a half feet apart in the row. 



Berries among peach trees appear to do as well as those not among them, but I think the 

 trees do not do as well, especially when planted but sixteen feet apart. Twenty feet would 

 do better. 



My berry crop this season was nearly a failure. The vines were in good condition this 

 spring, and set well for fruit, but owing to the drouth but a small portion came to maturity. 

 I harvested 36 bushels this year, including the new plantation, against 176 bushels the pre- 

 vious season from the old plantation alone. Net receipts this year, $144 84. Net receipts 

 last year, $525. 



I ship my fruit in quart boxes in crates of half a bushel. The first part of the season 

 Milwaukee is the best market, the latter part the best prices are obtained in Chicago. 



I consider the Philadelphia more profitable than any of the black cap varieties. 



I have three-fourths of an acre of strawberries under cultivation. They came out of the 

 winter and through the spring in poor condition, in consequence of freezing and thawing 

 when the ground was bare of snow. Of this fruit I only marketed 32^ bushels, from which 

 I netted $121 47. 



I have of grapes one acre in bearing, consisting of varieties as follows : Concords, 300 ; 

 Hartfords, 200 ; Ionia, 100 ; Delaware, 40. The Concords and Hartfords bore about same 

 amount per vine ; lonas bore small crop and ripened well ; Delawares fair crop. I consider 

 Hartford Prolific the most profitable grape. I rai-e as they come into market first and they 



