264 GENERAL HISTORY. 



A few bearing apple trees were found by the first settlers on Grand Prairie^ 

 on the farm originally purchased by Seth Taft, supposed to have sprung from 

 seeds accidentally dropped by French traders on the deserted site of an Indian 

 village. 



One of the earliest attempts at fruit growing in the county is believed to 

 be that of Enoch Harris, the first settler on Genesee Prairie, in 1829 or 1830, 

 who brought apple seeds with him and grew and planted the seedling trees in 

 orchard. The original seedling orchard was, in 1873, still thrifty and pro- 

 ductive. 



For many years the plum and the peach were abundantly successful, but 

 the advent of the curculio and the rot, together with a succession of exces- 

 sively severe winters, have since sadly interfered with their success; still the 

 persistent use of remedies, with thorough cultivation and enrichment of the 

 soil, and the selecting of suitable locations for planting will, even yet, gener- 

 ally insure success. 



While the pear, the cherry, the grape, and the small fruits are more or less 

 generally and profitably grown, the apple here, as elsewhere in this State, is 

 the staple fruit. Orchards covering from ten to forty acres may occasionally 

 be found. 



In a single case, that of Mr. Dunkly, of Kalamazoo, the growing of straw- 

 berries for market by means of irrigation has been practiced with eminent 

 success, the effect being to largely increase the size and quantity of the fruit, 

 and to very considerably retard its maturity^ while by this means the planting 

 of new beds in August, for the next season's fruiiing, is as readily, safely, and 

 economically done as in spring, and with as satisfactory results. Mr. Dunkly 

 also employs irrigation, to a greater or less extent, in the growing of vege- 

 tables. 



In 1850 a premium was awarded to the farm of Godfrey Knight, of School- 

 craft. The committee, in its report, speak of the orchard as follows: " He 

 has an orchard, fenced, on the road, with good substantial pickets, contain- 

 ing seven acres, with about four hundred bearing apple trees and a great 

 quantity of peaches, plums, etc., and on the inside of this orchard there is a 

 hedge of apple, thorn and English gooseberry, which is already nearly suffi- 

 cient to constitute a full and safe fence. Mr. Knight estimates the fruit of 

 his orchard this year at over five hundred bushels of apples, besides his sum- 

 mer fruits. This fruit is of choice kinds." 



A similar award was made in 1851 to the farm of F. W. Curtenius, of 

 Grand Prairie, who reports, respecting his orchards, as follows : " I have 

 about seventy apple trees, all grafted Iruit. I have also Seckel and other 

 pears ; Washington and Golden Drop plums, and others. Of cherries, black 

 and white Tartarian and Ox Heart ; of peaches, some seventy or eighty 

 trees, of good, bad and indifferent kinds." 



In 1869 orchard entries from the county were made by Erasmus Davis, 

 four and one-third acres of peach and pear orchard and vineyard ; and by P. 

 C. Davis, one acre and fifty-six rods of pear orchard. In these cases the 

 committee fully conceded the excellency of the plantations, but withheld the 

 awards for lack of adequate statements of the systems of management. 



The display of fruits, especially apples, at the county fair of 1869 is said 

 to have rarely been equalled. 



In 1871 the county produced forty thousand barrels of apples, which sold 

 for an average of two dollars per barrel; also one thousand bushels of 



