228 GENERAL HISTORY. 



We are indebted to F. M. Holloway, for many years the secretary and re- 

 sponsible manager of the Hillsdale County Agricultural Society, for the fol- 

 lowing not too flattering statements respecting the fruit growing capacities of 

 this county: — 



"In reply to your inquiries, I may say that Hillsdale county is not to be 

 classed as a No. 1 horticultural county. Its altitude, its gravelly and sandy 

 soils, conspire to occasion short-lived trees. Extremes of heat and cold tend 

 to shorten life. It is true, after fifty years' trial, we find our catalogue of 

 large fruits reduced to the apple, pear and quince; small fruits, to strawber- 

 ries, raspberries and blackberries; the last two uncertain because of freezing 

 in winter. Peaches may be counted out. Plantations go up within a few 

 years. Few grapes — these only for home use. Many trials have been made 

 with small fruits for Chicago and Detroit markets. These have proved fail- 

 ures, through uncertainty of season, or slow transportation and excessive 

 charges. There has been no profit in fruit for this county, except in apples. 

 This crop is fair, three years out of four. Our best shipments have reached 

 100,000 barrels in some years. 



"These are raised on farms given to mixed farming. Quality good, would 

 be better if more care were taken in trimming and clearing from (tent cater- 

 pillar, curculio and codling moth. Have had rare cases of army worm. No 

 complaint of late. Pears frequently suffer from blight. From the above, 

 which are facts plainly stated, you will readily designate our county as out- 

 side the fruit belt of Michigan. We should not claim what fifty years of ex- 

 perience tells us we have not." 



The commercial fruit dryer of E. L. Kelley & Sons, at Reading, in this 

 county, made a creditable exhibit of its products at the New Orleans exposi- 

 tion, of 1884 and 1885, and is still in operation, consuming 1,000 bushels of 

 fruit per week, and employing fourteen hands. 



From the reports of the Smithsonian observer, in the town of Litchfield, 

 In the northwesterly corner of the county, we learn that in December, 1872, 

 the minimum temperature was as low as — 23°, and, in the following Febru- 

 ary, as low as — 30°, and that the range of the thermometer during the win- 

 ter was as much as 79°, with the result that peach trees were generally killed, 

 while apples and other of the hardier fruits were mainly uninjured. 



The orchard products of this county of the crop of 1870, were reported to 

 have amounted to the sum of 1133,346. Fruits for the Centennial exhibit at 

 Philadelphia, in 1876, from this county were contributed from a goodly nuuiber 

 of orchards. Among tlie contributors, whose fruits went to constitute the ex- 

 hibits of the State Pomological Society, we mention Dr. Tims, F. S. Black- 

 man, Sylvester Clark, C. R. Coryell, F. Kirby, H. K. Abbott and H. B. Chap- 

 man. 



In 1877 an orchard and small fruit and vegetable garden, the property of 

 H. B. Chapman, of the village of Eeading, was examined by the orcliard 

 committee of that society, receiving very high commendation, as did also the 

 apple orchard of Charles Cain, of the same town. 



By invitation of the county agricultural society, the State Pomological 

 Society, in 1S80, held its February mec'tiii'j in connection with the regular 

 farmers' institute of the former society, with a success gratifying to all con- 

 cerned. During the year 1886 a horticultural society was organized in 

 this county, with headquarters at Jonesville. The Lenawee and Hillsdale 

 Horticultural Society has also its headquarters at Hudson, near the east line 

 of the county, thus accommodating many in that part of this county. 



