214 GENERAL HISTORY. 



In the spring of 1882 S. B. Lewis started the Floral City nursery at Mon- 

 roe, putting into it, as is uuderstood, a portion of the stock fo'merly belong- 

 ing to the Reynolds, Lewis & Co. establishment. Both this and the E. H. 

 Reynolds nursery are yet in operation. 



An agricultural society for Monroe county wa? organized on July 17th, 

 184y, which has exerted a wide influence in building up the agricultural as 

 well as the horticultural interests of the people. In 1852, the secretary, in 

 his annual report, remarks: "The variety of fruits presented (at the annual 

 fair) was larger than at any previous fair, and, for richness, has never been 

 excelled in Michigan." 



The committee on farms, in 1853, speak of the fruit and ornamental ar- 

 rangements about the residence of R. Tolford, of Raisinville, as follows : 

 *' The front and back yards adjacent to the house are well filled with shade 

 and fruit trees and shrubbery, judiciously disposed." 



The report of the State Board of Agriculture for 1879, at page 455, states 

 that the Monroe county society was organized in 1875. If this be true, it 

 must doubtless be supposed that the original society had become disorganized, 

 and that it was now re-organized. 



In 1869 apples were reported to be but half a crop, peaches a full crop, and 

 the yield of grapes to be 4,000 pounds per acre, worth 10 cents per pound. 



Another establishment, known as the River Raisin nursery, about one and 

 one-half miles from the city of Monroe, conducted by Greening Brothers, has 

 been in operation for twelve or more years; but little seems to be generally 

 known respecting it. 



VINEYARDS. 



The planting of grapes, for vineyard purposes, was commenced at Mon- 

 roe, by J. M. Sterling, in 1863, followed by the late C. Bruckner, J. C. Ster- 

 ling and others, in 1864 and 1865. The Points de Peaux vineyard, eight 

 miles from the city, on the shore of Lake Erie, was planted during 1865 and 

 1866. The Detroit Wine Company planted fourteen acres of vineyard adja- 

 cent to the city of Monroe about this time. 



Numerous other vineyards were pl.inted at this time and soon after, which 

 were generally so successful as to receive the highest commendation and in 

 certain cases the awards of the orchard committees of the State Horticult- 

 ural Society. At this period the number of acres in vineyard aggregated 

 fully two hundred, and the total product was estimated to be fully 600,000 

 pounds of fruit. 



This product was mainly consumed at home, in the manufacture of wines, 

 although numerous markets for the fresh fruit were at hand, in neighboring 

 villages and cities, and in the States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. 



About 1883 and 1884 the disease known as ''grape rot" began to seriously 

 affect these vineyards, and has since sadly diminished their profitableness, so 

 much so, in fact, that the Pointe de Peaux and several others have been 

 vacated and the lands devoted to other purposes. 



These plantations were mainly of Concord, but with more or less of 

 Catawba, Delaware, Ives and Norton's Virginia; a few plants of other 

 varieties being occasionally added, mainly for experimental purposes. 



In 1867 the committee on vineyards, of the State Agricultural Society, in 

 their report, state that the entries were all within the lake towns of 

 Monroe county, and in localities in which the soils are similar, if not fully 



