GENERAL HISTORY. « 43 



at St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, and also at South Haven, observed fre- 

 quent indications of yellows, together with more or less evidence of injury 

 from the cold of the previous winter. 



A small plantation of figs, belonging to H. E. Bidwell, had come safely 

 through the severe winter, and was showing some fruit. 



In the orchard of A. S. Dyckman, at South Haven, several trees had leaved 

 out, blossomed and set their fruit abundantly, soon after which they died. 

 These trees, on examination, proved to have been dead at the root, although 

 alive at the top. This has been generally assumed to be a result of the severity 

 of the past winter; but the matter is confessedly but imperfectly understood. 

 Since the same circumstance occurred at Grand Traverse, where the ground 

 was well covered with snow during the winter, and where, in fact, there had 

 been no frost in the ground at any time. 



The orchardists of South Haven have adopted the practice of destroying all 

 peach trees manifesting yellows, by which means they are able to keep the 

 disease within comparatively narrow limits. No yellows was discovered by 

 this committee north of the vicinity of South Haven. 



On September 5th, 1873, the State Pomological Society again met at South 

 Haven upon the invitation of the South Haven Pomological Society. 



President Dyckman, being a resident here, was busy with the gathering, 

 packing and shipment of his ripening peach crop, and unable to be present. 

 The meeting was therefore called to order by one of the vice presidents. 



Notwithstanding the earliness of the season and the general scarcity, the 

 show was exceedingly fine in all departments. The attendance from abroad 

 was also unexpectedly large. 



Among the exhibits was a basket of grapes, together with specimens of 

 peaches and pears from California. There were also some very fine peaches 

 exhibited by Judge Eamsdell, of Traverse City. 



The resignation of \V. K. Kedzie, meteorologist of the society, was accepted, 

 he having been elected to the chair of chemistry in the Agricultural College 

 of Kansas. 



A new codling moth trap was exhibited, ccnsisting of a strip of brown 

 paper tied about the trunk of the tree with a string. This was punctured 

 by birds who discovered the location of the larv£e beneath, and relieved the 

 orchardist of the necessity to remove and examine the traps. 



Eeplying to a question. President Phillips, of the South Haven Society, 

 stated that, notwithstanding the severe winter, the shipments of peaches, 

 within a radius of five miles from South Haven, would exceed thirty thousand 

 baskets ; fully one-third of which would be from the orchard of A. S. Dyck- 

 man. He also stated that there were plenty of as good lands as any now 

 under cultivation, and within one and a half miles of the village, open to 

 purchase at from $25 per acre for unimproved lands to $300 for lands im- 

 proved and under orchards. 



At the evening session a paper was read by T. T. Lyon, of Plymouth, on 

 "The importance of timber protection for fruit culture." 



Treasurer H. Seymour followed with a short statement of the financial 

 condition of the society. 



Mr. Law, of South Haven, addressed the audience upon the religion of 

 fruits and flowers, which closed the evening exercises. 



Considerable quantities of fruits, flowers and vegetables were added to the 

 exhibit on the second day; also specimens of yarn from Jamaica, with cocoa 



