THE STATE FAIR— 1873. 197 



points. Ou visiting each place lie takes a blank, upon which he writes a num- 

 ber opposite each standard number. Perfect soil for apples would be 15, if 

 poorer, say 12 or 8. Upon these sheets are often various other marks and com- 

 ments. All these were finally given to the chairman to average and decide who 

 wins the prizes. Each member makes his own marks without consulting 

 others. Occasionally we compared notes to see Avho marked highest or lowest. 



After such an extreme cold winter it seemed for a while very doubtful 

 whether the committee would have much to do this year; but in some respects 

 things looked better as the season passed along. 



The entries made required three weeks of hard work of the committee, who 

 gave their time for this purpose. It was not uncommon for us to arrive at a 

 place or depart from it at 11, 12, or 1 o'clock in the night. When done we 

 departed on the first tniin, no matter at what time of day or night. 



On September 4th we began work at South Haven. This is a new town. 

 Though still abounding in stumps about the suburbs, it is not wJiolIi/ unknown 

 to the fruit men of Michigan or other States. She has even attracted some 

 attention by her fruit at the Vienna World's Fair, as well as at our own 

 National Pomological Convention held this year in Boston. At South Haven 

 we found a thrifty Farmers' Club, the chief interest of which is the discus- 

 sions in reference to horticulture. It is paying well the members and the 

 neighborhood for all the time thus occupied in consultation. These clubs, 

 rapidly springing up in our State, are one of the most favorable signs of the 

 times. 



Most of these South Haven people know how to do things well. Now and 

 then we saw a place in the vicinity belonging to a man not a member; the 

 culture, variety, and quality of fruit and all the surroundings, told the same 

 story — " behind the times." We found an abundance of peaches in the majority 

 of orchards, which were not over two miles from the lake. They were then 

 worth at the orchard over S2 a basket. The failure of peaches in other parts 

 of the State has caused a rise in land about New Haven. One young man had 

 last year bought a three-acre peach orchard of his brother, paying ^100 an 

 acre. This year he sold the fruit on the trees for IGOO. He had exi)ended 

 about $50 in cultivation and care of trees. 



Hon. A. S. Dyckman had an orchard of 30 acres of fine peaches, yielding 

 about 16,000 baskets, 6,000 more than his estimate in the spring. He 

 is at once presideut and king : President of the Pomological Society of the 

 great fruit State, and ki7ig among our peach-growers. Every man is in luck 

 this year who has a bearing peach orchard. It was a good thing to precede 

 the financial panic. 



Eaising peaches also has its dark side, even at South Haven. Trees become 

 diseased and die. Insects bore the trunks and sting the fruit, unless the owner 

 is ever vigilant. Those who raise much nice fruit attend to their business. 

 They spare no pains, and do everything well. We saw one fine pear and cherry 

 orchard on a rented place, nearly ruined by the slugs. This place was raising 

 insects to stock the whole community. 



We were told of one man who last year took the first prize on peach orchards. 

 In the distance we saw huge piles of dead trees, and many others had been 

 burned. This man had piled earth about his trees in summer, as is often done, 

 to keep away the borers. In autumn he had removed the banks to allow the 

 trees to harden previous to rebanking them before winter. The severe sudden 



