ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS OP MICHIGAN. 209 



last autumn. The South Haven people, desirous of exhibiting clean places to 

 the committee last season, did a great deal of cultivating and hoeing rather 

 late, causing continued growth which did not thoroughly mature. The 

 excessive winter injured this spongy growth, thus in a measure shortening this 

 year's crop of fruit. Mr. Bidwell's peach orchard, he estimated, would have 

 borne him from $600 to $1,000 worth of fruit had it not been for late cultiva- 

 tion. The result of this experience is that we do not find the orchards with- 

 out a weed or tuft-of grass, as was the case last year. 



The variety of Black Caps on Wigglesworth's premises was Mammoth Clus- 

 ter, which ranks very high in productiveness. The raspberries were Clark's 

 and Philadelphias. Some objection having been made to the varieties, the 

 proprietors gave their returns from a half-acre, which were eminently satisfac- 

 tory. The price of berries was not at any time less than 20 cents, and the 

 majority of the crop netted 25 cents per quart. 



The vineyards were laden with fruit, and exhibited a good growth of wood, 

 but there were several vacancies in the rows occasioned by severe cold. The 

 trellises were simple horizontal frames for the Delawares, while a modification 

 of the staking method had been adopted in the Concord vineyard. The soil 

 in the vineyards was excellent, but thorough underdraining would render it 

 more valuable. 



In Class 14 — peach orchards four years old and over — were several entries. 

 A. T. Penniman's is situated on the lake border, and is protected by a wind- 

 break on the north, south and west. This orchard was marked very high by 

 all members of the committee, the soil, protection, varieties, pruning and gen- 

 eral health taking high rank. In this matter of protection, however, there is 

 a diversity of opinion as to what might constitute perfect protection. After 

 conversing with the most intelligent fruit culturists, your correspondent has 

 decided that a heavy belt of timber lying between the direction of prevailing 

 winds and the orchard is more a detriment than a protection. But a thin belt 

 of woods that will temper the force of wind without entirely checking it is 

 the most desirable. The reason is patent to all. 



Harvey X Linderman entered his four-year-old orchard, the crop of which 

 he has sold for $600 on the tree. The amount of ground is but three acres, so 

 it is netting him a nice little income. The principal objection to this orchard 

 lay in its lack of protection. The committee do not take it upon them to 

 decide for others what is best, but from the fact that several trees in an orchard 

 or a nursery have been winter-killed is testimony showing that there is too 

 much exposure of some sort. The varieties and arrangement ranked very 

 high, and culture seemed quite perfect, while the absence of borers testified 

 to the care he had given to remove noxious insects. 



Mr. M. F. Smith's orchard was older, but exhibited the results of fine culture 

 and care. The committee did not see the proprietor, and hence had to use 

 their own judgment in regard to varieties and arrangement. There scarcely 

 seemed to have been sufficient care in obtaining a succession of varieties. 

 There were some crotches in the trees which are quite objectionable, still diffi- 

 cult to avoid occasionally in pruning. There was a goodly amount of fruit on 

 the trees, still far from being a full crop. 



In Class 15, containing three-year-old peach orchards, we found some fine 



entries. Mr. Linderman's, which joined his older orchard, would take the 



same rank perhaps, save in the single item varieties. We have to judge of au 



orchard without its connections, hence if it is made up almost of two varieties 



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