304 GENERAL HISTORY. 



the extraordinary promise at the time of blooming. The yield, however, was 

 unequal, S'jme orchards having borne extremelv large crops, others but mod- 

 erate ones. Altogether, -we consider the product a full average, and the qual- 

 ity good. Pears and plums were scarce, but peaches, which had almost died 

 out as a crop in this county, are again reviving, and wherever there were 

 trees, plenty of fruit is reported. Grapes thrive well in our climate and soil, 

 and increased attention is being bestowed upon their culture, with gratifying 

 success. Small fruits of all kinds were likewise abundant this year." 



In 18G8: "The crop of apples was so small as to be not worth securing. 

 Grapes were abundant and fine." 



Tne report for 1869 says : " The past has been an excellent fruit year in 

 this county. As a general thing, the orchards yielded an average quantity of 

 apples, of which the quality was admirable, and the keeping properties 

 superior. A loss in the apple crop was oxperienced by the sudden, early and 

 unlooked for advent of a severe frost, finding some of the later varieties still 

 upon the trees, which were frozen hard in a single night. You will remem- 

 ber how early the winter dropped down upon us, with no notice of its ap- 

 proach, and permanently locked up the earth while the woods were still in 

 full foliage. Peaches, pears, plums, cherries, etc., bore better than common. 

 Berries of all kinds were very abundant, and the quality of all was good." 



The report for 1870 says, in effect : " Apples were a large crop, but they 

 matured too early, seriously impairing their keeping properties. Grape> were 

 abundant and fine, and the quantity is annually increasing. Pears, plums, 

 cherries and most fruits grown here were abundant and good, although 

 peaches were less abundant than in 1869. The liability to winter-killing of 

 the trees is discouraging their increase." 



From the report of 1871 we extract: 1871 was the year for a light crop of 

 apples. Accordingly the yield proved small, and the quality but middling. 

 Pear trees, however, bore heavily and the fruit was fine. Grapes bore heavily, 

 but a portion of the crop was spoiled by frost. Peaches were a fair crop. 

 Plums and cherries light. Small fruits were abundant and good. 



A district or local agricultural society for the southwestern portion of the 

 county was organized in 1858 at Fenton. 



In 1876 fruits were contributed to the Centennial exhibit of the State 

 Pomological Society at Philadelphia by Augustus Koot and C. H. Rockwood, 

 who collected and forwarded fruit from Flint ; and also by N. T. Thurber, of 

 Fenton, who sent a collection from that vicinity. 



A county horticultural society was organized at Flint on February 21st, 

 188^; and, upon its invitation, the annual meeting of the State Horticultural 

 Society, occurring on December 4th to 6th following, was held at Flint, which, 

 judging from the attendance and the interest manifested by the people of the 

 city, was a very profitable occasion. 



The following statistics of the horticultural products of the county are 

 from a paper prepared for this meeting by A. L. Aldrich, of Flint, who esti- 

 mates the number of acres of bearing orchards in the county at two thousand 

 five hundred. lie adds: — 



There are ten points at which apple packing is done on a more or less 

 extensive scale, namely, Flint, Fenton, Linden, Swartz Creek, Davison 

 Station, Mt. Morris, Clio, Geneseeville, Eogersville and Grand Blanc. The 

 shipments from these several places the present season are as follows, in 

 bushels: 



