STATISTICS OF ORCHARD PRODUCTS 



FOR MICHIGAN. 



SHOWING THE VALUE OF ORCHARD PRODUCTS, THE NUMBER OF 

 GALLONS OF WINE, AND THE VALUE OF THE PRODUCTS OF MARKET 

 GARDENS, FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 1, 1870. 



[Note. — The Statistics of Orchard Products of the State of Michigan were ordered 

 published by the Pomological Society, at the meeting held at South Haven, in September, 

 1873. They are collected from the Ninth Census of the United States, as compiled in the 

 State Department of Michigan, under the direction of the Secretary of State. They are 

 published for several reasons : 



1st. They establish the fact that the fruit production of the State is important and valu- 

 able, and that this industry needs to be cherished as ranking among the first in the State. 

 The value of the orchard products for the j^ear ending June, 1870, for the whole State, was 

 13,537,238,— over three and one-half million dollars. "The value of the wool crop, 8,864,896 

 pounds at 42 cents per pound, was but little larger. It must be remembered that the statis- 

 tics show only the value of the products for one year, — not the value of the orchards or of 

 the orchard lands. 



2d. These statistics were ordered published that their incompleteness might become more 

 apparent to legislators and to the people. They do not attempt to show the value of 

 orchards, or lands planted to orchards, — or the extent or number of acres of such in the 

 State. There is no reference to nursery lands, or the value of such. There is no showing 

 of the number of acres planted, for instance, to vineyards. The number of gallons of wine 

 is attempted to be given, 22,015 gallons, but the number of pounds of grapes produced i& 

 not attempted. The number of bushels or barrels of apples ; the number of baskets of 

 peaches and pears ; the number of baskets of small fruits ; the amount of dried fruit — are 

 items that are not found in these statistics. Why not leave out wheat and oats, potatoes, 

 butter and cheese, just as well as apples, peaches and grapes? It is certainly very desirable- 

 that the complete statistics of the orchard products of the State be gathered by the next 

 State Census ; not only of the products of orchards, but of the number of acres of laud 

 devo+ed to fruit culture, that the amount of capital invested in this industry may be' 

 approximated.] 



