EATON COUNTY. 289 



forty years since, trees on high ground are thrifty. Those in low sags are 

 smaller, mossy and sickly. 



The remarks respecting the orchards of Eaton apply equally to those of 

 Eaton Rapids. The town can hardly be surpassed in the production of fruit. 



The soil of Hamlin is sandy and gravelly. Root-grafted trees are invariably 

 thrifty. Trees of forty years' standing are loaded with fruit. Natural trees 

 are decaying badly. I found, in this town, thirty-six varieties of apples, 

 besides a good many which I failed to recognize. All, or nearly all, were 

 heavily loaded with fruit. The number of orchards visited in this town is 

 fifteen. 



In Brookfield twenty-two orchards were examined, ages from sixteen to 

 thirty years. Sixteen of them were root-grafted, and all were thrifty. 



Seventeen orchards were inspected in Walton. The orchards of this town 

 -are mostly a mixture of root and top-grafts. Where not too severely trimmed 

 by sheep and cattle, the trees are generally in good condition. Till within 

 the last forty-five years this town and Bellevue were the home of the red 

 man, and many trees of their planting are still growing and bearing. Orchards 

 from ten to thirty years of age are still thrifty and productive. 



In Bellevue eleven orchards were examined. This is an excellent locality 

 for fruit culture. Orchards of natural fruit planted in 1835 are yet in a good 

 growing condition. The orchards visited in this town were all root-grafted, 

 and were all in excellent condition. 



Of the trees above examined, nine-tenths of the Baldwins were sound and 

 bearing heavily. The Fameuse, Strawberry, Rhode Island Greening, Ool- 

 den Russet, Roxbnry Russet, Pennock, Rambo, Westfield, Red Canada, 

 Ortley, Yellow Belfiower, Talman Sweet, Maiden's Blush, on heavy clay soil, 

 had not been visibly affected by the cold winter of 1854 and '55. 



On a sandy soil, with a southerly trend, all trees were more or less injured 

 by the intense cold — 40° and 43*^ below zero. 



The fruit of the Northern Spy is very badly scabbed. The Baldwin, 

 Wagener, Fameuse, Rhode Island Greening, Rambo, Yellow Belflower, etc., 

 appear to be in their glory this year. 



I? The town of Kalamo can boast of the largest forest tree in the county, and 

 probably in the State. It is (was) a gigantic sycamore. The tree was hollow 

 from the bottom to the top, so that the blue sky could be seen from within 

 it, and someone had cut a door so as to afford an entrance. There are several 

 persons now living who have ridden a horse fully sixteen hands high through 

 that door into the hollow, turned the horse around on the inside and ridden 

 out again. The inside diameter measured between sixteen and seventeen 

 feet. 



Eaton county, according to the census of 1884, has of apple orchards 8,846 

 acres, 273,042 bearing trees, yiekiing in 1883 177,543 bushels of fruit. 



Peach orchards, 175 acres, 12,130 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 4,185 

 bushels of fruit. 



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

 186,438.00. 



Vineyards, 5 acres: grapes sold in 1883, 1,323 pounds. 



wine made in 1883, 3 gallons. 



Nurseries, one acre; products sold in 1883, $70.00. 



Market garden products sold in 1883, $3,380.00. 



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