262 GENERAL HISTORY. 



October 24th, 1836, and, a few days later, visited Ypsilanti, purchased two 

 hundred apple and one pear tree, fifty of which, together with the pear tree 

 he planted, at once on the new farm, among logs and brush, while the 

 remainder were distributed to others in the vicinity. 



Mr. Cliurch also, at this time, established a nursery, from which many 

 orchards were planted, both in this and in adjoining counties. 



A County Agricultural Society was organized in 1848, which has been 

 maintained down to the present time. 



A first premium was awarded, in 1850, to the farm of S. G. Patterson, of 

 Marengo, which reported, among the products of that year, five bushels of 

 Isabella grapes, three hundred bushels of peaches and forty bushels of 

 plums. 



The report of the County Agricultural Society for 1868 states that apples 

 yield but one-fourth of an average, while peaches had been mostly winter- 

 killed. 



At the. county fair for 1869 there were thirty exhibitors of fruits. The 

 display of apples and pears was unsurpassed. There were a few fine peaches, 

 but it was too late for most varieties of this fruit. The show of grapes was 

 deficient, owing to wet weather. 



At the fair of 1870 the display of vegetables and fruits was reported to be 

 very large and excellent. 



At the opening of the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, on May 1st, 

 1876, N. Helling & Brother, the proprietors of a retarding house at Battle 

 Creek, were prest^nt, with a fine collection of apples, the growth of 1875, in 

 excellent condition, among which were Esopus Spitzenburgh, Yellow Bel- 

 flower, Westfield Seek-no-further, Red Canada, Ben Davis, Baldwin, Kox- 

 bury Russet, Vandevere, Jonathan and Northern Spy. This beautiful 

 exhibit, so late in the season, attracted a crowd of admirers. 



On December 2d, 1873, the State Pomological Society held its annual 

 meeting at Battle Creek, with a large attendance and a fine display of fruit. 

 The very gratifying success of the meeting was thought to be largely due to 

 the eflScient efforts of Chilson Brothers, of that city. 



The orchard committee of the State Pomologioal Society for the year 1874 

 awarded premiums to citizens of Calhoun county as follows : — 



To N. & C. Chilson, Battle Creek, first premium for vineyard for profit. 

 On June 16th, 1880, the summer meeting of the State Pomological Society 

 was also held at Battle Creek, with the active and efficient cooperation of 

 Mr. N. Chilson, who was at that time a member of the executive board of the 

 society. 



During this meeting the society, by vote of its membership, changed its 

 title to that of Michigan State Horticultural Society. 



The State Horticultural Society held its winter meeting for the year 1883 

 at Marshall, on the 8th of March, in conjunction with an institute of the 

 County Agricultural Society. The meeting was an enjoyable and profitable 

 one, including several papers, with subsequent discussions of an agricultural 

 character. 



Chilson Brothers for a series of years conducted a vineyard, nursery and 



greenhouse at Battle Creek, with the addition during a portion of the time 



of vegetable or market gardening. More recently the enterprise has suffered 



severely from the winter-killing of nur8>,ry stock, and has been discontinued. 



A i^each orchard at or near Battle Creek, planted prior to 1873, by Mr. 



