GENERAL HISTORY. 81 



retary, eliciting a good deal of applause. It was entitled "Our Homes." It 

 dwelt upon the making of homes, the creation of pleasant surroundings for 

 them, and the creation of a convenient, pleasant and cheerful interior, pro- 

 vided with food for the mind as well as for the body. 



The final adjournment was delayed by the arrival of a box of grapes in 

 excellent condition, with the accompanying letter from E. Bradfield, of 

 Ada: 



"I see by your circular there will be a discussion on keeping grapes, and I 

 send four or five varieties by express, packed in the same manner and in the 

 same material in Avhich they were put up last fall in large boxes. I use hard 

 wood saw-dust, which was taken from my ice-house and dried in the oven. 

 The excellent condition of the half-ripened Zona illustrated the fact that the 

 keeping quality of a variety does not depend entirely on i's perfect ripeness. 

 The imperfections in the lona bunches are due to Professor Cook's friends, 

 the robins. They are very forbearing toward the other varieties, but scarcely 

 leave a perfect lona bunch. Like the writer, they seem to have lona on the 

 brain." 



The society adjourned to meet at Jackson at the call of the proper officers. 



On June 18th to 20th the summer meeting of this society convened at 

 Jackson and was called to order by the president. 0. M. High was present 

 as a delegate from the Ohio Horticultural Society; also W. H. Ragan, from 

 the Indiana Horticultural Society. 



The reading of numerous rejoorts by the secretary showed that a frost early in 

 May had seriously injured the grapes and small fruits, especially strawberries, 

 but with little injury to the larger fruits except in unfavorable locations. 



A chapter of horticultural experience by Messrs. J. Austin Scott and J. D. 

 Baldwin, of Ann Arbor, served to bring out the capacity of that region for 

 fruit growing, and especially for peach culture, in which particular they 

 believed it to be fully equal to the lake shore. 



"Gathering Fruit" was the subject of a few moments' discussion. 



Mr. Baldwin stated that there was a shrinkage of fifteen per cent in apples 

 from the first sweating after gathering. 



The pear should be picked before maturity and house ripened. 



All fruit should be picked with the stems perfect. 



A report was received from T. T. Lyon, chairman of the committee on the 

 proposed fruit catalogue, giving a list of the varieties of small fruits proposed 

 to be introduced into such catalogue. These underwent a discussion as to 

 the relative values to be given them. 



At the evening session a letter was read from N. A. Beecher, of Flushing, 

 giving his experience in orcharding, giving a not very clear character for 

 hardiness in his locality to several of the popular favorites, such as Esopus 

 Spitzenburgh, Roxbury Russet, Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening. 



" Fruit as a Part of a Good Living, When and How to Eat it," was the 

 next subject, which was opened by J. P. Thompson in an exhaustive discourse, 

 which was followed by a discussion which, however, was all on one side — that 

 of fruit. 



A paper upon "Practical Education" was presented by M. 0. Simpkins, of 

 Branch county, who said the question of the hour among professional educa- 

 tors is. How to bring the schools abreast the fourth quarter of the nine- 

 teenth century. After numerous hits at the lack of a knowledge of prac- 

 tical affairs by both teachers and pupils, even in our higher schools, he made 



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