REPORT OF THE LAKE SHORE SOCIETY. 51 



€x-officio — Mr. Manvel, Secretary, resigned very soon after, and C. A. Ensign 

 was elected to fill the vacancy. The officers were generally re-elected at next 

 annual meeting. 



THE FIRST FAIR. 



At a meeting held as late as Sept. 2d, 1871, it was resolved to hold a fruit 

 fair on the I2th inst., preparatory to collecting meritorious articles to forward to 

 the State Poniological fair to be held at Grand Rapids, in September, 1871, 

 and accordingly a unique fair was held in the unfinished store of J. S. Payne 

 at the foot of Centre street, at which time a fine show of grapes, peaches, and 

 apples was made, as well as some fine samples of farm produce. 



. From these a collection of fruit was made and placed, with a sample of 

 mammoth squash raised by Rev. J. F. Taylor, under tlie care of J. S.Owen and 

 taken to Grand Rapids. This fruit, though not regularly entered in any list, 

 at the nomination of the President of the State Fair, for its excellence, received 

 a special premium. 



Very little practical farming was discussed by the Society during this year 

 or the following year of '7Z. The subjects of "Yellows in Pea^ihes," its 

 causes and prevention; and also "Alden's Process for Drying Fruit," received 

 fiome discussion at the meetings of the winter of 1871-72. 



THE COLD SNAP OP FEBRUARY, 1ST2. 



At the meeting of February 10, 1872, the degree of cold of February 3d was 

 reported. At Saugatuck and- Douglas the degree of cold was confirmed from 

 10^ to 12° below zero. The higher ground in center of section 16, just west 

 of Douglas, showed a less degree of cold, — also it was reported to be less on the 

 lake shore in Ganges township, 4 miles south. The thermometer stood about 

 5*^ below during the night, and just before sunrise sunk to the extreme, where 

 it remained but a few minutes and began to rise. 



THE DAMAGE. 



The damage done by this cold was not very great, as shown by the crop of 

 fruit the season following. The same degree, with a less favorable condition 

 of the last year's growth of wood, might have been far worse to peach orchards. 

 The amount of fruit borne by the orchards of this vicinity this year, 1872, was 

 quite equal to what trees should bear. The effort of the Secretary to obtain 

 complete statistics of orchards and fruits have so far failed to gather anything 

 like a complete record. 



VAEIETIES OF PEACHES. 



At the meeting held March 9th, 1872, the subject of varieties of peaches best 

 to plant here was discussed. 



Mr. x\. Hamilton gave his list as follows: 5 per cent Hale's Early; 10 per 

 cent Large Early York ; 10 Old Mixon ; 25 Early Barnard ; 20 Early Crawford ; 

 and 30 of the Monterey or Cass seedling. The Early Barnard was preferred in 

 the hands of attentive growers as hardier, more productive, as fine in flavor 

 and appearance as the Crawford ; would not recommend it to those who n^ver 

 .take care of their trees, as they are liable to bear too muc.h fruit to give fair size 

 and need thinning, while the Crawford's do not. 



Mr. J. S. Owen gave in his list about an equal number of each Early Craw- 

 ford, Jacques Rareripe, Early Barnard, Late Barnard (Hill's Chili), Old Mixon 

 and Ward's Late. He approved Mr. Hamilton's opinion of the Early Barnard, 

 and gave as an additional reason for planting the Barnard in place of Crawford, 

 in part, that it bears younger. It was stated that the Barnard ripened nearly 



