THE FEBRUARY MEETING AT BATTLE 



CREEK. 



The February meeting of the Michigan State Pomological Society was held 

 in Peninsular Hall, Battle Creek, on Tuesday, February 25th, 1873. There 

 were present, representatives of the different portions of the Northern, Central 

 and Southern sections of the State. The exhibition of apples and other fruits 

 occupied the center of the hall. The ladies of Battle Creek, Marshall, and 

 other places brought in an abundance of flowers and ornamental iruits, and it 

 appeared as if a small greenhouse had temporarily placed its treasures for the 

 temporary pleasure of the Society. 



The meeting was called to order by President Dyckman, who announced that 

 the Secretary of the Society, J. P. Thompson, was lying ill at Lansing, and was 

 thus prevented from attending this session. On motion, C. J. Dietrich, of 

 Grand Eapids, was chosen Secretary ^;ro tern. 



The chair stated the first business to be the reception of reports of the con- 

 dition and prospects of the fruit buds and trees in the different sections repre- 

 sented, and under this head the Secretary announced a letter from Geo, Parmelee, 

 of Grand Traverse, stating that the peach trees were all right, excepting a por- 

 tion of the Crawford, which being less hardy than other varieties has suffered 

 somewhat from the unprecedented cold weather of the season. 



Mr. llusted, of Kent county, reported that, in his opinion, the peach crop of 

 that county was nearly all destroyed, and the cherry in part; also plums, pro- 

 bably. Apples, however, were doubtless safe ; grapes, except the few hardiest, 

 are injured to a considerable degree, and on the whole the prospect was not so 

 fair as was represented at the Lansing meeting last month. 



Mr. Chilson, of Battle Creek, reported that peach buds in Calhoun county 

 were "gone up," as well as many of the trees. Blackberries that stand up are 

 mostly dead; most of the grape-vines that were left standing are in the same 

 condition. Many grafted apple trees are hurt, but the wood of old trees is 

 uninjured. 



Mr. Adams, of Kalamazoo, considered peaches entirely lost, and many of the 

 trees, especially those of younger and more thrifty growth, are seriously injured. 

 The few days of warm weather last week showed many signs of damage to the 

 apple tree. 



Mr. Mott, of Battle Creek, had recently looked over an apple orchard, and 

 found that the Baldwins and Greenings are badly injured, much of the wood 

 of last year's growth being killed ; other and hardier varieties Avere in better 

 condition. 



T. T. Lyon, of Wayne county, had found some of the wood killed, but did 

 not apprehend that the apple or pear crop was much injured. Peaches now 

 were of course out of the question in that section. Of the smaller fruits he 

 could not definitely speak. 



