54 GENERAL HISTORY. 



Tho summer meeting of the State Pomological Society, which convened at 

 Monroe, on Tuesday, June 29th, 1875, was an exceedingly interesting and 

 profitable one. 



The secretary called attention to the duties devolving upon the society in 

 the near future. 



In connection with the meeting of the American Pomological Society, the 

 Illinois Horticultural Society, at Chicago, had arranged for the fruit exhibit 

 to be made in the Inter-state Exposition building, and a circular from 0. B. 

 Galusha, secretary of the Illinois society, was received by Secretary Thomp- 

 son, from which the following is an extract: — 



" Seven thousand square feet of space in the south end of the main floor 

 and gallery of the great exposition building will be assigned to the various 

 States, territories and provinces, and, in the space assigned to each will be 

 arranged the State, county, society or individual collections contributed there- 

 from. It will be our effort to have every section of the country, from Nova 

 Scotia to California, and from Key West to Oregon, suitably represented in a 

 truly continental exhibition of fruits, and, to this end, we solicit your per- 

 sonal effort and influence to secure a complete representation of your fruit 

 products. Up^n the same day and in the same building, the great Inter-State 

 Exposition of the Arts and Industries will begin its four weeks' exhibition. 

 Free tickets, admitting them to all parts of the exhibition, will be issued to 

 all members of the American Pomological Society, and to contributors of 

 fruits for the exhibition. Railroads will give reduced rates." 



The meeting was also informed that Governor Bagley would appoint a com- 

 mittee of three to take charge of the fruits for this exhibition, and also a 

 committee of thirteen, to be selected from the several fruit growing districts 

 of Michigan, to collect the fruits. 



With regard to the Centennial Exposition, to occur at Philadelphia the fol- 

 lowing year, the Legislature had appropriated §7,500, and placed it at the 

 Governor's disposal for the purpose of securing an exhibit of our various 

 State products and interests on that occasion. A commission of four mem- 

 bers will be appointed soon, and circulars will be issued stating general regu- 

 lations, and supplying information to exhibitors. 



Owing to the severity of the past winter, reports of fruit prospects were of 

 more than usual interest. 



Judge Ramsdell, of Traverse City, reported apples on high, rolling land 

 but little injured and bearing a fair crop. On lower and highly cultivated 

 lands badly injured ami without fruit. Peach trees badly injured and with- 

 out fruit, save in favorable localities; his plum orchard of seven hundred and 

 fifty trees uninjured and bearing a full crop. The same is true of pears, and 

 also of sweet cherries. Nectarines badly damaged ; apricots uninjured ; grapes 

 uninjured and fruiting heavily. 



At the Agricultural College Professor Beal reported at one time — 33". He 

 had never seen so few fruit blossoms. 



Mr. Spalding, of .Monroe, reported no injury to grapes, which were bearing 

 even better than the previous year. 



Mr. Sterling reported appk'S at Monroe a medium crop. 



Mr. Suttle, of Grand Kapids, reported a number of peach orcliards in Kent 

 county badly damaged; the apple crop a failure ; grapes occasionally damaged 

 by a late spring frost. Secretary Thompson remarked that the fruit growers 

 of the Grand Kiver ^^llley were now engaged in holding post mortem 

 examinations of their orchards. 



