TUSCOLA COUNTY. 337 



The value of orchard products of all kinds sold or consumed in 1883 was 

 $15,128.00. 



Vineyards, 7 acres: grapes sold in 1883, 146 pounds. 



wine made in 1883, 



Nurseries, none. 



Market garden products sold in 1883, $517.00. 



TUSCOLA COUNTY. 



By act of the State Legislature, approved April 1st, 1840, the present 

 county of Tuscola was set off from Sanilac, as originally constituted. 



By an act of that body, approved March 2d, 1850, which took effect on 

 the first Monday in January, 1851, the county was organized. The county 

 seat was fixed by the act of organization, at Caro. 



The earliest settlement within the limits of the county was made in 1836. 

 Among the earliest settlers were Ebenezer Davis and Edwin Ellis (Pioneer 

 Collections, vol. 7, page 578!. 



H. C. Hills, of Unionville, says the first apple orchards, of seedlings, were 

 planted about 1855. Many of these have been top-grafted. These have 

 generally succeeded very well, and are yet bearing good crops. The general 

 planting of orchards began about 1861, and they are mainly in good condi- 

 tion at the present time, although the cold winter of 1885 damaged some 

 varieties, notably Baldwin, Ehode Island Greening, Esopus Spitzenburg, 

 "Wagener and Tompkins County King. Notwithstanding this, he considers 

 the apple a success in that county. 



He further states that for some years peaches did well and the fruit sold, 

 in Bay City, at four and five dollars per basket. Plums are also successful 

 and command similar prices. One plum tree, only three years planted, pro- 

 duced two and three-fourths bushels of fine fruit. 



He reports crab apples very successful, and currants, gooseberries, rasp- 

 berries, strawberries and small fruits generally, eminently so. 



He names Red Astrachan, Maiden's Blush, Lowell, Fameuse, Twenty 

 Ounce, Northern Spy and Baldwin (as a top-graft) as generally successful. 



The Tuscola County Agricultural Society was organized January 8th, 1866. 



In 1868 the secretary, in his annual report to the State Board of Agricult- 

 ure, says: " We cannot boast of so large a crop of apples as last year, still 

 those raised were of unusual excellence. Although the business of fruit 

 raising is yet in its infancy with us, it has already been demonstrated that 

 Tuscola county can hardly be beaten by any locality of Michigan for the 

 production of apples and many of the smaller fruits, while peaches and pears 

 succeed admirably in some neighborhoods, particularly about Watrousville, 

 and along the shore of Saginaw bay. 



*'In horticulture there is still a great chance for improvement, particularly 

 in the cultivation of cherries, plums and berries of various kinds. These 

 would be cheap luxuries, in which the poorest might indulge, if he owned 

 but an acre of soil. The hardier kinds of grapes succeed well." 



The report for 1869 says: " Fruit of all kinds usually grown in the county 

 was abundant. Apples were excellent in quality and the crop was large. The 



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