KALAMAZOO COUNTY. 267 



hall were in the hands of the State Horticultural Society, by whom the 

 awards were made and the payments ordered to be made. 



At the opening display at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, on 

 May 1st, 1876, the only contributor of fruits, the growth of 1875, from Kala- 

 mazoo county, was P. C. Davis, of Kalamazoo, who had also been a commis- 

 sioner, as well as a considerable contributor to the exhibit of the previous 

 September, at the meeting of the American Pomological Society at Chicago. 



At the September and October displays of fruits at Philadelphia, the con- 

 tributors from this county were H. Dale Adams, of Galesburgh, who was in 

 charge of the State Pomological Society's collection of apples, the growth of 

 1876. Exhibits from this county were also made by William Bair and W. 

 Judson, of Schoolcraft ; E. Buell, J. Den Bleyker, E. H. Wheeler, P. C. 

 Davis, N. J. Strong, Dr. Southard, Bragg & Stearns and J. S. M. Grundy, of 

 Kalamazoo ; E. P. Flanders, J. C. Blake and J. P. McNaughton, of Gales- 

 burgh. 



In September, 1877, the orchard committee of the State Pomological 

 Society awarded its diploma to the ornamental grounds of Mrs. Fred. Bush, 

 of Kalamazoo, which the committee compliment, especially the fine lawn and 

 the judicious and tasteful selection and arrangement of trees, shrubbery, 

 plants and flowers. Such award may be regarded as all the more creditable 

 on account of the generally high reputation of the village for the good taste 

 and thorough practice in such matters of its citizens generally. 



At an early date an extensive cemetery had been secured upon the bluff 

 west of the city, which, as early as 1860, had been nicely laid out and improved, 

 but of its more recent condition and management no information is at hand. 



On April 4th, 1885, this cour)ty, as well as the State at large, suffered a 

 serious loss in the death of Hezekiah G. Wells of the city of Kalamazoo, at 

 the age of seventy-three years. Born at Steubenville, Ohio, June 16th, 1812, 

 he came to Michigan in 1833, and settled at Kilamazoo in 1836. Although 

 by profession a lawyer, he was ever an intelligent and progressive horticult- 

 urist. Appointed a member of the State Board of Agriculture at its organi- 

 zation, he became its presiding officer, which position he held until his final 

 resignation from the board but a few months prior to his death. In Septem- 

 ber, 1857, Judg.e Wells was elected president of the first Michigan State Hor- 

 ticultural Society at its organization at Jackson, which position he held till 

 it became disorganized, which occurred at the close of its second year. He 

 was, at the time of his death, a life member of the present State Horticultural 

 Society. 



During the year 1873 the orchard committee of the State Pomological 

 Society awarded to W. J. Wheadon, Kalamazoo, a third premium for a vine- 

 yard; to L. G. Bragg & Co., a second premium for a plat of strawberries, 

 also a second premium for a plat of blackcap raspberries, and an honorable 

 mention for a general nursery. 



In 1877 this committee awarded to Mrs. Fred Bush, of Kalamazoo, a first 

 premium for ornamental grounds, as heretofore stated. 



According to the census of 1884 Kalamazoo county had of ajDple orchards 

 7,153 acres, 254,960 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 102,321 bushels of fruit. 



Peach orchards, 283 acres, 21,883 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 1,738 

 bushels of fruit. 



The value of orchard products of all kinds sold or consumed in 1883 was 

 450,492.00. 



