SHIAWASSEE COUNTY. 307 



locating on the farm upon which he has since lived. (Pioneer Collections, 

 vol. 7, page b12.) 



In this, as in other counties, orchards were planted very generally as soon 

 after settlement as proper grounds could be prepared for the purpose. 



As early as 1850 the county had become so far improved that the need of 

 au agricultural society began to be felt, and accordingly a county society was 

 organized on the 25th of April of that year. 



The report, of this society for 1854 saj's there are many marshes in tlie south, 

 about one-Lwentieth of the surface being marsh, the remainder being excel- 

 lent arable land. At the north, timbered land predominates. 



The society's report for 1871 states that fruit, though shown (at the county 

 fair?) in great variety and of excellent quality, has not yielded as largely as in 

 previous seasons, having been materially injured by the drought. The same 

 is true of vegetables generally. 



In 1884 seed of amber cane was sent out by the State Agricultural College 

 for trial. The trial in this county, on sandy soil, showed a yield double that 

 of corn upon the same space of ground. 



At the winter meeting of the State Pomological Society, held at Lansing, 

 on February 18th-20th, 1879, Mr. J. B. Barnes, of Owosso, says: "In reply 

 to your inquiry touching fruit prospects, I am happy to say that the infor- 

 mation, obtained from reliable sources, in different sections of the county, is 

 very gratifying. I cannot learn that the intense cold of January has done 

 any harm. The heavy sljeet of snow which has covered the ground for the 

 last six weeks will prove highly advantageous to the coming strawberry crop. 

 Grapes and peaches are unharmed, and from all that I can learn I think the 

 chances for an abundant crop of fruit of all kinds are good." 



Reports during 1884 indicate that, especially at Owosso, the small fruit 

 interest has come to be one of considerable magnitude, and that much atten- 

 tion is given to the growing of apples for exportation. 



The name of this county is perpetuated in one of its seedling fruits, the 

 Shiawassee apple. The seed which produced this variety was grown in Avon, 

 Oakland county, upon a tree of the old, well known Fameuse, and was sown 

 in Gaines, Genesee ^county. The tree was transplanted from the nursery to 

 Vernon, Shiawassee county, by Beebe Truesdell, by whom, on coming into 

 bearing, it was proposed to name it Seeknofurther. It chanced to attract the 

 attention of J. T. Elliott, of Grand Rapids, when in the vicinity, who sent 

 specimens to T. T. Lyon, then a resident at Plymouth, Wayne county, who 

 objected to the proposed name as one already appropriated, and, in considera- 

 tion of its fine quality and extreme beauty, suggested that it be named Shi- 

 wassee Beauty, which name was accepted by the originator. The modern 

 rules of nomenclature of fruits requires the dropping of the redundant word, 

 hence it appears in the catalogue of the State Horticultural Society as simply 

 "Shiawassee." The fruit, in color of both flesh and skin, as in texture, 

 aroma, juiciness and flavor, is identical with Fameuse, but is much more dis- 

 tinctly oblate, with a more sunken calyx and of slightly larger size. 



It is, moreover, almost wholly exempt from the serious fault of its alleged 

 parent — a tendency to crack and scab in unfavorable seasons and upon old 

 trees. It should, beyond doubt, take the place of Fameuse in all Michigan 

 orchards. It was described in the Michigan Farmer in 1859 and 1860, and 

 also in the Journal of Horticulture for the latter year. It was also exhibited 

 at the meeting of the American Pomological Society at Philadelphia in 1859. 



