GENERAL HISTORY. 89 



into which the lower peuiasula of the State is divided, such division being 

 as follows, viz: 1st district, the eastern tier of counties from the southern 

 boundary of the Srate northward as far as its capacity for fruit culture is 

 known. 3d district, the mass of interior counties, omitting the tier along 

 the southern boundary and those adjoining Lake Michigan. 3d district, the 

 south tier of counties, omitting Monroe on the east and Berrien on the west. 

 4th district, the lake shore counties, from the south line of Berrien to and 

 including Ottawa county. 5th district, the counties adjacent to Lake Michi- 

 gan and its bays, from the south line of Muskegon county as far north as their 

 capacity for fruit culture is known. In these columns a * indicates that the 

 variety which it represents is known to succeed in the district, * * that it is 

 especially valuable, and a f that it is on triil and found promising. Many 

 kinds of very little value are added for the purpose of showing by the low 

 values given them, and by remarks in the column for that purpose, that, 

 though more or less grown in the State, their further cultivation is not in- 

 tended to be encouraged The leading advantage to the fruit culturists of 

 the State sought in this catalogue is to supply all who may wish to plant with 

 a disiuct purpose in view, the means of selecting wisely with I'eference to such 

 purpose, from the varieties which shall have been properly tested in the State, 

 and found best adapted to the special purpose they shall have in view. 



The latest edition of Downing's ^'Fruits and Fruit Trees of America" was 

 adopted as authority on nomenclature but subject to modification in accord- 

 ani-e with the rules of the American Pomological Society. 



The catalogue occupies fifty-five pages of the volume of the society's trans- 

 actions for 1878 and was revise] and republished in 1879, since which it has 

 only been revised and republished in alternate and odd years. 



The winter meeting of the State Pomological Society was held at Lansing, 

 on February 18th to 20th, 1879. Tables for fruits were arranged in the 

 upper corridor of the capitol, on which was displayed over two hundred and 

 fifty plates of apples. 



The sessions were held in the audience-room of the State Pioneer Society. 



The reports read at this meeting indicated a lower temperature in the 

 southern tier of counties than farther north. Reports so far indicated no 

 serious injury to the prospective fruit crop. 



On Tuesday evening N. Chilson, of Battle Creek, proposed a plan for an 

 exhibition hall to accommodate fruits and flowers adequate to accommodate 

 five thousand plates of fruits, besides plants and flowers, the hall to be lighted 

 wholly from above. 



The plan of Mr. Chilson was accepted and referred to the executive board. 



This was followed by a paper on "The Ornamentation of Country School 

 Grounds" by W. C Latta, of Mason. The paper treated the subject quite 

 fully and elicited much discussion, but was objected to by some as not within 

 the scope of a pomological society's work. 



On Wednesday morning the topic first considered was : "How Good a 

 Vegetable Garden Can the Farmer Afford?" 



The subject was opened by an essay from Eugene Davenport, of Woodland, 

 Barry county, who. after its consideration, answered the question as follows: 

 "As soon as he knows how to keep it he can afford an indefinitely good one, 

 and can keep such an one cheaper and easier than he could a poor one 

 before." 



A prolonged and interesting discussion followed the reading of the essay, 



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