ALLEGAN COUNTY. 293 



The Allegan County Pomological Society was organized December 31st, 

 1808. On December 21st, 1880, it became auxiliary to the State Horticult- 

 ural Society. Its meetings are monthly, held, during winter, in the village 

 of Allegan, and more commonly, during the summer, at the residences of 

 country members, or, on invitation, at the halls of granges. 



West of the village, upon a Very considerable elevation, is located the 

 Central Union School building, which is surrounded by several acres of second 



growth pine trees. 



Near by, and west of the school building, is the cemetery. The grove 

 extends to and partially around these grounds, and to some distance south- 

 ward. Two streets pass through this grove, constituting it a desirable pleas- 

 ure resort. 



Southeast of the village, and elevated seventy-five feet above the river, is 

 another natural grove, available for park purposes, containg about five acres, 

 through which pass two streets and three cross streets. This grove is mostly 

 white oak, of second growth, interspersed with maple. 



On February 13th to 15th, 1878, the State Pomological Society held a very 

 pleasant and interesting winter meeting at Allegan, upon the invitation of 

 the Allegan Pomological Society. 



The annual meeting of the State Pomological Society for the year 1879 was 

 ' also held at Allegan on the 2d to 4th of December, upon a similar invitation 

 from the local society. 



The Allegan Journal publishes the following for the year 1879: " On(£r 

 man received $1,000 for the peaches on less than four acres, without ihe-- 

 trouble of picking and marketing them. The sales by another person from 

 an orchard of ten acres amounted to $4,700. One firm shipped from Allegan 

 to Milwaukee six hundred thousand pounds of fruit." 



At a meeti'g of the Allegan County Pomological Society, held at the resi- 

 dence of J. B. Dumont, in August, 1880, a large party of gentlemen from 

 Kent county were present. The discussion was mainly respecting the disease^ 

 known as yellows, and, during the meeting, a peach tree affected with the: 

 disease was exhibited. This is understood to have been nearly or quite the; 

 first proof positive of the existence of the disease in this vicinity. 



HOETICULTURE IK BASTERN" ALLEGAJS". 



Lucius Barnes and Nelson Chambers planted the first orchards in Wayland, 

 between the years 1840 and 1850. That planted by Mr. Chambers is still 

 thrifty and productive. The ground has been mostly used as pasture for the 

 last twenty years. The soil is sandy, elevated and dry. The Barnes orchard 

 was planted on light soil originally timbered with oak and pine, and the trees 

 have grown more feebly. , 



In 1864 or '65 Jonathan Russell planted fifty peach trees, all of which are 

 now living except one, which was killed during the winter of 1874 and '75 by 

 stacking corn around it. The varieties planted were Crawfords, Snow's 

 Orange and Hill's Chili. Two of these Early Crawfords the present season 

 yielded twelve bushels of fruit. This orchard is on very high ground, with a 

 west and northwest exposure. Since coming into bearing it has produced 

 fruit every season, although the crop of 1875 was a very light one. 



The next peach orchard was that of John Mclntyre, fifty trees of which 

 were planted in 1876, and the remainder more recently. He prefers Hill's 

 Chili first, Barnard second, Louise and Rivers third. 



