110 GENERAL HISTORY. 



Question third — Can -^e destroy the rose bug, and, if so, how? 



Hand picking was the onh' successful method mentioned. 



Question fourth — ^\ hat varieties of strawberries are planted here, and in 

 what proportions? 



The replies were that nearly all those planted for market were Wilsons. 



Question fifth — How shall I preserve fruit trees from mice? 



Clean culture, mounding with earth, and winding the trunks with tar paper 

 were each suggested by different persons. 



On Wednesday morning the first topic was, " The Utility of Highway Tree 

 Planting." 



Henry C Reynolds; of Old Mission, opened the discussion with the re- 

 mark, '^Not the least valuable among the labors of the Legislature during 

 the session just drawing to its close, is a modification of our highway laws, 

 which will, within a few years, go far toward making every country road 

 throughout the State, a delight to the eyes, a pleasure to the weary traveller, 

 a source of pride to every citizen. Truly a large promise, but it seems to me 

 fully warranted." 



In this he had reference to the new provisions for excluding cattle and the 

 regulation and encouragement of tree planting. 



Objections were made to the shading of the roadway that mud dries more 

 slowly, but the preponderance of opinion appeared to be largely in favor of 

 the trees. 



"Lessons from the Winter of 1880-81" was the next subject, which was 

 opened by a paper from S. B. Peck, of Muskegon. The paper abounds with 

 the results of close observation and clear deduction, but no analysis can doit 

 justice. The paper and the subsequent discussion evince the fact that large 

 numbers of grapes, plums and peaches, as well as a few apples, had been 

 either killed or sadly injured. 



The discussion of the topic closed with the adoption of the following resolu- 

 tion, moved by S. B. Mann, of Adrian: 



Resolved, That as the result of the discussion we believe that the disasters to our 

 fruit trees during the past winter were du<^ to a combination of circumstances 

 peculiar to the season, in connection with the winter, which may not occur again for 

 years. _„____^ 



''How Shall Injured Trees be Reinvigorated?" The discussion of this 

 topic took a wide range with much contrariety of opinion, although the j^re- 

 ponderance seemed to be in favor of digging up and planting new trees. 



The first topic of the afternoon was: "The Culture and Management of 

 Grapes." 



H. J. Edgell, of South Haven, opened the discussion with a paper treating 

 somewhat of modes of management, aiid also of varieties. 



A short discussion followed this paper, after which 



S. H. Comings, of St. Joseph, read a paper on "Grape Growing and Wine 

 Making." Growers were cautioned to be on the lookout for the phylloxera 

 and the thrips. Mention was made of the then quite recent plan of stretch- 

 ing wires and training the vines upon cross-pieces nailed across the tops of 

 the trellis plates. He considered the subject of wine from the temperance 

 standpoint as a business to be deprecated rather than encouraged. 



Thomas Mason next read a paper on "Varieties of Fruits Adapted to Chi- 

 cago J\Iarket," stating that firmness, color, quality and size in the order 

 named, are the chief requisites, so far as apples are concerned. A bright 



