324 GENERAL HISTORY. 



In 1882, at the February meeting, a fine display of fruits and flowers was 

 made in response to offers of small premiums. 



On the 27th and 28th of June, at the regular monthly meeting of the so- 

 ciety, a very fine display of early fruits, flowers and vegetables was made. 



In September Elwood Graham and Benjamin F. Decou, on behalf of the 

 society, made an exhibit of fruits at the State fair at Jackson, of ninety va- 

 rieties of apples, twenty of peaches, ten of pears, twelve of grapes, four of 

 plums, four of crabs and one of quinces. The first premium of $50 was 

 aAvarded to this collection. 



Two collections of fruits were also entered at the fair of the West Mich- 

 igan Agricultural and Industrial Society, to each of which a first premium 

 was awarded. 



0. W. Garfield, in his "Brief of Horticulture," says there is no one branch of 

 horticulture that takes precedence in the county, although the peach and 

 small fruit interests are very large. The Baldwin and Northern Spy are the 

 leading market apples. Two evaporating houses and several cider and vinegar 

 factories use the less marketable fruits. The peach crop is not as certain as upon 

 thfe lake shore, but in 1883 more than tweiity-five thousand bushels were mar- 

 keted from the orchards about Grand Rapids. All the peach orchards are 

 on elevated locations. The marketing is mostly done in bushel baskets. 

 Plantations are rapidly increasing. The profits are large, but skill is requi- 

 site to secure them. The yellows has appeared in several orchards, but has 

 not, so far, become a serious injury. Pears and plums are not grown largely 

 for market, but are raised in small quantities on a great many farms for fam- 

 ily use. 



There are a good many successful vineyardists. The Concord has been the 

 leading market variety, but the Worden and Niagara will be more largely 

 planted in the future. Under skillful management grapes can be grown for 

 three cents per pound and yield a small profit. 



Duke and Morello cherries are profitably grown for market, and every farm 

 has a few trees to supply the family. 



Small fruits are extensively grown and are a considerable source of profit. 

 They are absorbed by the home market. Strawberries grown here come into 

 market about June 5th, and Turner raspberries appear three weeks later, 

 closely followed by Cuthbeit, Mammoth Cluster and Gregg, which last till 

 blackberries appear. 



Vegetable gardening, as carried on about Grand Rapids, is not excelled by 

 any other locality in the State. Large areas are devoted to vegetable houses, 

 and from early spring until winter the dealers have a magnificent display of 

 finely grown vegetables. There are also specialists who devote themselves 

 to celery, cauliflower, onions, squashes, or some other single vegetable, and 

 derive largo jirofits therefrt)m. 



J. D. Husted, of Lowell, says: Growing peaches, apples and small fruits 

 for market is, to some extent, made a specialty in Lowell and adjoining 

 towns. Not more than one-tenth of the land adapted to growing these fruits 

 is yet in use for such purpose. 



Lowell village has two evaporating establishments, and both are running to 

 their full capacity, besides many farmers use small sized dryers, aiid with 

 jelly-paiis and cider mills, the best part of the culled fruit is utilized ; farm 

 stock consume the refuse. The number of barrels of apples shipped from 

 Lowell this season (1884) exceeds twenty thousand, and a large number of 



