310 GENERAL HISTORY. 



the site of the famous " Rochester Colony." In 1837 Wm. H. Faxon planted two bush- 

 els of peach pits and a peck of apple seeds. From this nunnery the surrounding country 

 was furnished with natural fruit trees. Nearly all of the old orchards in this vicinity 

 are from plantings of these trees, since improved by grafting. In 1842 Jlr. Faxon gave 

 to I\Ir. Louis Coburn, who then lived in the township of DeWitt, all the peach and apple 

 trees he could pile on an ox team, for himself and neighbors, for which he has had the 

 satisfaction of eating many times from the fruits grown from these trees. 



Bingham Township : The first fruit trees set in the township were cherries, set by 

 A. J. Halstead, on the farm owned by S. W. Downer, one and three-fourths miles south 

 of St. Johns. In 1844 Wm. Norris set out an orchard. About two years afterwards, 

 in 1846 Chas. Session, of Lebanon, James Soules, of Essex, John Merrihew, of Olive, 

 "Wm, J. Bancroft, of Greenbush, David Scott, of DeWitt, David Seavy, of Greenbush, 

 Reuben S. Norris, of Bingham, J. L. Hamer, of Bengal, all set out apple trees, etc., 

 which are still tlu*ifty and bearing. 



Peaches: The first peach orchard set out in Clinton county was by Hervey Lyon, in the 

 township of Essex, in 1858, Subsequently a number of peach orchards in the same 

 neighborhood have been planted and have been quite successful. The land in this 

 neighborhood is high and rolling. 



Westplialia Township : Anthony Martin came to Westphalia in 1838, at which time 

 there were but tlii-ee settlers in the township. The year after seeds were planted, and the 

 first fruits raised in tliis township came from the bearing of the trees from those seeds. 

 The first peach trees were seedlings. They bore bountifully and added largely to the 

 convenience of the population, but, of late years, no especial attention has been given 

 to peaches. About the year 1850 Rev. Fr. Goedetz, for many years pastor of the Cath- 

 olic church at Westi^halia, set out a number of grape-vines and gave special care to their 

 cultivation. His example was followed by a number of his parishioners, and almost 

 every farm has more or less grapes. Wine has been made in considerable quantities, 

 and the sale and culture has been profitable to those engaged in it. 



Bengal Township : In the fall of 1839 Benjamin Welch and Morris Boughton each set 

 out one hundred trees obtained from a small nursery in Ionia. In 1840 Hon. Courtland 

 Hill set out one hunch*ed apple trees, the leavings of the same nursery in Ionia; these 

 were all set among the green stumps, and the trees were so small that Mr. Hill carried 

 the whole one hundred on his back. His orchard has been very fruitful and the most suc- 

 cessful in the community. He plowed and cropped the ground every year for twenty -five 

 years, and manured it every other year. When the plow caught a root he never backed 

 his team if they could break it up, so allowing the root to run deeper into the ground 

 and to stand the hard winters better. A tree from this orchard measured this season 

 twenty-eight inches in diameter one foot above the ground. Mr. Hill sold in one year 

 forty bushels from one tree for fifty cents per bushel. In one year he sold the apples 

 from one hundred trees for $500, and had plenty left to make cider and for other pur- 

 poses. 



Duplain : The first fruit trees set in the neighborhood of Elsie were set by Henry N. 

 Cobb and Mr. Gallaglian ; Mrs, Gallaghan brought the trees her husband planted from 

 Chesaning in 1842 on her back, following an Indian trail sixteen miles, with no com- 

 pany except her dog. The trees grew well and the orchard is yet a good one. In 1843 

 H. N. Cobb brought some trees from Northville. In 1848 and '9 several orchards were 

 planted with good success. £n 1853 J. D. Sickles planted a small silver maple for an 

 ornamental shade tree. The tree now stands in front of the " Doty House," Elsie, and is 



