152 GENERAL HISTORY. 



The summer meeting of the State Horticultural Society for 1885 was held 

 at Frankfort, Benzie county, upon the invitation of the Benzie County Hor- 

 ticultural Society, on June 24th and 25th. 



This locality, being remote from the older portions of the State, and inac- 

 cessible by rail, it was not anticipated that there would be a large attendance 

 from other sections, relying mainly upon a general attendance from the 

 immediate vicinity. A pleasant morning ride by steamer from Manistee 

 brought the visiting members to Frankfort in good season for an afternoon 

 session, which was called to order by President C. F. Burroughs, of the local 

 society, who introduced Vice President N. A. Parker, by whom the visiting 

 society was warmly welcomed to the village of Frankfort and the county. 



This was responded to by the president, with some references to his earlier 

 acquaintance with Benzie county fruits, after which the meeting was placed 

 in charge of the State Society, and the president called for the first paper 

 upon the programme, the subject being "Insect Biography," by Clarence M. 

 Weed, of Chicago, 111. 



Several of the more common and troublesome insects were traced through 

 their transformations, and their appearance and habits described, as well as 

 the best methods of attacking them, 



G. C. McClatchie, of Ludington, having written a letter to Secretary Gar- 

 field on the ''Culture of the Plum," this was read as an introduction of that 

 subject. 



The writer urged the best of soil and cultivation as necessary to success, 

 and depended upon jarring as the most effective means of arresting the 

 ravages of the curculio. As to varieties he preferred the Purple Egg, his 

 second choice being Bradshaw and Lombard. 



He had also found the rotting of the fruit before maturity to be quite 

 troublesome. 



The reading of the letter was followed by a short discussion, after which 

 C. A. Sessions, of Mears, addressed the meeting on the topic of '^'Profitable 

 Potato Culture," following which there arose a general discussion of the 

 subject, continuing till the adjournment. 



The evening session was opened by the announcement of committees, after 

 which the discussion of the subject of "Timber Protection" was opened by 

 Professor James Satterlee, of Lansing. 



An earnest discussion followed, participated in by T. T. Lyon, J. J. 

 Atherly, J. J. Hubbell, S. W. Fowler, C. \V. Garfield and others, bearing 

 mainly upon the effects of protection. 



On Thursday morning the visitors were met by a number of conveyances 

 and shown something of the horticultural improvements about Frankfort, 

 after which the paity were driven out a number of miles, part of the dis- 

 tance along the shores of the beautiful Crystal lake to Benzonia, where, after 

 a pleasant drive about the town, they landed at a pleasant grove on the 

 bank of the lake where a table, loaded with the good things of the land, was 

 in readiness, at which all with a hearty good will essayed to do their 

 part in relieving it nf a portion of its load. The effort, however, was but 

 partially successful for a reason that may be supposed to be indicated by the 

 brevity of some of the after-dinner speeches, save that of the wirthy 

 treasurer who, apparently not conscious that he was "carrying coals to New- 

 castle," indulged in a warm lecture on "Prohibition." 



The party returned to Frankfort by another route in time for an evening 

 session, which was opened by the reading of a letter from Secretary W. J. 



