LAPEER COUNTY. 301 



Mrs. 0. L. King (to whom the writer is indebted for very many of the fore- 

 going facts) has a large orchard at Thornton; so also have Mrs. J. Kimball, 

 Mr. John Lamb and John Dingman. Such plantations have quite generally 

 proved successful. Fruit trees are very generally thrifty and successful, and 

 it is a notable fact that when a tree fails the disease occurs first upon the 

 Bouthwest side. (Caused by sun-scald during the hottest part of the day. — 

 Author.) 



There are a few orchards in the county planted by French traders, but 

 they are no longer in good condition. 



On the south bank of Pine river (at St. Clair), was the old fort St. Clair. 

 In 1820 nothing remained of it, but there was an old apple orchard, bearing 

 an abundance of fruit each year, and some of the trees were larger around 

 than the body of a man. This orchard is believed to have been planted by 

 the soldiers in charge of the old fort. 



In 1853 John E. Kitton states that the soil of this county is much varied 

 and well adapted to the successful production of grain and grass. The fruit 

 products comprise all the common classes, which rarely fail to yield bounti- 

 fully. Apples, peaches, pears and cherries are abundant and command 

 remunerative prices. 



A gravellji loam predominates in the lower or southern part of the county, 

 while farther north clay loam is more common. 



As early as February 22d, 1854, a constitution was adopted for a county 

 agricultural society. 



Port Huron, the principal city in the county, is but indifferently provided 

 with parks. One of these. Pine Orove Park, extent not known, is supposed 

 to be wooded mainly with second growth pine. 



There are also in another locality one and one-half acres occupied for park 

 purposes. 



In 1884, in a brief of Horticulture in Michigan, Mr. I. H. Butterfield says: 

 ** St. Clair county is a good place for a home. Port Huron is its leading 

 town and furnishes a good market. Boats, plying either way, furnish cheap 

 transportation for surplus products. Lands are not very high priced, and 

 locations along the St. Clair river are much sought for homes. It is a de- 

 lightful place to live. Apple orchards are profitable here, as in counties 

 previously named, as a division of mixed husbandry. Peaches are very little 

 grown, as the winters are rather severe. The country along the St. Clair 

 river is well adapted to pear culture, but somehow the people have not made 

 the most of their advantages in this regard. Plums do admirably and the 

 markets are good. Cherries of the Duke and Morello types do admirably, 

 and are quite profitable. Market gardening in the vicinity of Port Huron is 

 profitably pursued, but since the southern growers have taken advantage of 

 railroad facilities and shipped in quantities of early vegetables from the 

 warmer latitudes, there has been less profit in the business. 



LAPEER COUNTY. 



This county was laid out and named by proclamation of Governor Lewis 

 »Cass, September 10th, 1822, but with limits very different from the present 



