THE EARLY HISTORY OF HORTICUL- 

 TURE IN MICHIGAN. 



BY J. C. HOLMES, OF DETROIT, —READ AT BATTLE CREEK, FEBRU- 

 ARY, 1873. 



Mb. President and Gentlemen : — The many very large, rough, hardy pear 

 trees, the many ancient apple orchards and old Morello cherry trees that we 

 find scattered along on the old farms on each side of the Detroit river, testify 

 to us that the early settlers in that vicinity were not unmindful of the value to 

 themselves and their posterity of plantations of fruit trees. 



the pear trees. 



The heavy clay soil along the banks of the Detroit river seems admirably 

 adapted to the growth, health, and longevity of pear trees, if we may judge 

 from the present condition of many of these old trees that rise to u hight of 

 sixty or seventy feet, and bear large annual crops of very good pears ; their 

 origin running back beyond the knowledge of the oldest Frencliman of our 

 time. 



Tradition says : Some of the early French missionaries brought pear trees, 

 scions, and trees from Normandy, and planted a few seeds and trees near each 

 little habitation, along upon each side of the river from Monroe to Mt. Clemens. 

 I have seen it stated that several pear trees were brought from France in the 

 year 1749, and planted along the river side from the Brush to the Witherell 

 farm in Detroit, a distance of nearly oue mile. How correct this statement 

 may be I do not know, but it seems to be a well ascertained fact that in no 

 other locality in this country can such trees be found as the ancient pear trees 

 that are now standing on the banks of the Detroit river. It is not unusual for 

 them to bear a crop of thirty to forty bushels each. 



A short time since, Mr. Wm. L. Woodbridge told me he had many times 

 taken a crop of fifty bushels from one of the old pear trees that stood on his 

 father's farm. 



These old trees seem to be as hardy as the oaks of the forest; no disease has 

 ever attacked them, and they flourish under neglect about as well as the Canada 

 thistle. Very few of them receive much care, yet they bear their full annual 

 crop as regularly as a well kept apple orchard. 



the early apple orchards. 



In many of the old apple orchards in the vicinity of Detroit we find the 

 Snow apple, the Red and the White Calville, the Pomme Gris or Gray apple, 

 and the Eosseau. 



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