52 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



all at once; the Crawford had a longer season of ripening; no other full lists 

 were given ; Hale's Early was said to rot badly when the soil was worked, or 

 the tree stimulated, during the growth of the iruit. It was feared those wha 

 planted very largely of this variety here would measurable fail. 

 During the summer meetings of the Society were not held. 



THE FAIR OF 1872. 



The directors appointed and published the 13th and 14th days of September 

 for the second fair to be held at Dauglas. The weather was fine, but at this 

 time a great deal of sickness prevailed and prevented many worthy entries. 

 The entries and display of fruit were excellent, — very few entries of cattle, &c. 

 The receipts of the Society at this time reached nearly $175 00, — more than 

 covering all expenses incurred, and the interest awakened and manifested ia 

 hoped to lead to better methods and more careful culture of those products so 

 natural to this region. 



Owing to several impediments — prominent among which was the illness or 

 feebleness of those most suitably appointed to take charge — the fine collec- 

 tion of fruit intended for the Grand Rapids Union Fair of 187:^ could not bo 

 forwarded, and no representation of this district was made at that time and 

 place. • ' • 



OFFICERS FOR 1873. 



The annual meeting in November was adjourned from time to time to Jan- 

 uary 18th, at which time the following elections were made for the current 

 year: President, D. W. Wiley; Vice Presidents, B. P. Dressier, R. Mack, J. 

 Laarsen, J. Wadsworth, Thos. Grey, and J. P. Taylor ; Secretary, C. A. Ensign j 

 Treasurer, D. C. Putnam ; Directors, J. S. Owen, J. P. Taylor, L. Loomis, H^ 

 H. Goodrich, and the President and Secretary. 



DESCRIPTION" OF THE TOWNS AND TERRITORY. 



Agreeably to a suggestion made, the following notes of this district are 

 made : 



The three principal rivers of Michigan have a common source in Washtenaw 

 County, — the St. Joseph, the Kalamazoo, and the Grand rivers. The Kala- 

 mazoo, lying midway between the other of these rivers, enters Lake Michigan 

 on the south line of fractional section 4 in T. 3 N., R. 16 W. — known as 

 Saugatuck township. 



Immediately to the north of the mouth of the river lie one or two sections 

 of dunes or shifting sands, the only instance of the kind in the lake line of thia 

 county — Allegan. Still further northward upon the shore lies a strip of roll- 

 ing country of sandy soil — from 2 to 2| miles in breadth, occupying about 

 two-thirds the width of the fractional township of Lake. Although the soil is 

 denominated "light" and "very light" it is by no means despicable, as shown 

 by its timber and crops. Pine crops of wheat and corn are grown here by 

 good tillage, but farming in this vicinity is often done most slovenly. Many 

 locations in this section are excellent for the peach with respect to position to 

 receive protection from the lake— and the uncultivated fields abound in lux- 

 uriant growths of wild raspberries and blackberries. 



The east one- third of this township, the entire oiPilmore, nearly all of Overisel, 

 and the parts of Saugatuck and Manlius lying north of the Kalamazoo, con- 

 Btitute a district of fine farming lands of rich loam soils, gently undulating sur- 

 face, except immediately upon the Kalamazoo River, which, with its rivulet 

 tributaries, has somewhat broken the ground. The township of Heath, east of 



