BERRIEN COUNTY. 243 



Silver Brook cemetery, at Niles, commenced many years since, and enlarged 

 and improved from time to time to meet the increased requirements of the 

 community, is reputed to be a very beautifully kept and creditable institu- 

 tion. 



In 1875 B. M. Hance settled at or near Niles and commenced an extensive 

 small fruit plantation, which he still continues. 



S. H. Comings, of St Joseph, who, several years previously, had com- 

 menced a cranberry plantation upon a marsh a few miles south of that city, 

 near Stevensville, picked from one acre of the same, in the autumn of 1877, 

 four hundred and fifty bushels of fruit. 



In 1878 the fruit growers in the vicinity of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph 

 organized the Michigan Lake Shore Fruit Growers' Association. On August 

 21st, 1880, the Berrien County Horticultural Society was organized, which 

 seems to have absorbed or taken the place of the foregoing. This was made 

 auxiliary to the State Pomological Society, which relation has been continued 

 to the present time. 



Mr. John Whittlesey, of St. Joseph, has long been prominently known as 

 an extensive vineyardist of that place, who has been experimenting to deter- 

 mine the influence of increased space and less severe pruning upon the vigor, 

 health and fruitage of our native grapes. In the course of his experiments 

 he has, in some cases, allowed a single vine to fill a space of nearly or quite 

 one hundred and fifty feet, and this, with apparent benefit to the plant, so 

 far as vigor and productiveness are concerned, and certainly without injury 

 to the quality of the fruit. , 



The following premiums, offered by the State Pomological Society, were 

 awarded to residents of this county by the orchard committees of that society 

 for the year 1872 :— 



To K. C. Winans, of Benton Harbor, first premium for apple orchard ; also 

 for Delaware vineyard. 



To S. Jackson, Benton Harbor, second premium for peach orchard. 



To H. F. White, Benton Harbor, third premium for peach orchard. 



To A. R. Nowlen, Benton Harbor, third premium for peach orchard and 

 second premium for vineyard. 



To J. Young, Coloma, first premium for cherry orchard. 



The orchard committee for 1875 awarded the following : 



To Thomas Archer, St. Joseph, first premium for plat of blackberries ; 

 also for best vineyard attached to a city residence. 



To Thomas Archer & Co., first premium for nursery of grape-vines. 



To John Whittlesey, St. Joseph, first premium for vineyard for profit. 



The following persons contributed to the exhibit of fruits by the State 

 Pomological Society at the Centennial Exposition in September and October, 

 1876: 



A. 0. Winchester, St. Joseph, Salem and Diana grapes; John Whittlesey, 

 St. Joseph, Agawam, Wilder, Northern Muscadine, Concord, Ives, Eebecca, 

 Hartford and lona grapes; John Maitland, St. Joseph, Martha grapes; 

 Thos. Archer, St. Joseph, Delaware grapes; John Irwin, Buchanan, apples. 



The Centennial judges of pomology report as follows, so far as the fruits 

 of this county are concerned : 



A. 0. Winchester, St. Joseph, twenty-five plates of grapes, mostly Con- 

 cord, Clinton and Delaware, all good, and Diana extra fine. 



J. Whittlesey, St. Joseph, eight kinds of grapes, Eebecca very good. 

 Concord very good, from the trellis the vine extending forty-eight feet. 



