OSCEOLA COUNTY. 357 



Saginaw, and the Muskegon passes through its northwestern borders. The 

 dividing ridge being elevated 500 to 600 feet above the level of Lakes Huron 

 and Michigan. 



The census of 1884 shows that the county had, of 



Apple orchards, 178 acres, 1,838 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 412 bush- 

 els of fruit. 



Peach orchards, none; 46 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, one bushel of 

 fruit. 



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

 f 384. 00. 



Vineyards, none: grapes sold in 1883, 25 pounds, 

 wine made in 1883, none. 



Nurseries, none ; products sold in 1883, none. 



Market garden products sold in 1883, 1132.00. 



OSCEOLA COUNTY. 



This county was set off in 1840 as Unwattin county. It was organized 

 under its present name by act of the Legislature, approved March 17th, 1869, 

 and the organization was completed on the first day of July, 1869. 



The county seat is at Hersey, a village on the Muskegon river, first settled 

 in 1867. 



The county was named from the Seminole chief of that name. 



The following particulars are collected from the statements of W. L. Stod- 

 dard, of Evart, secretary of the county agricultural and horticultural 

 societies, and Geo. E. Newell, of Ashton. 



B. F. Gooch settled at or near Hersey in the fall of 1854, and in the sprmg 

 of 1856 moved his family here, bringing with them fruit trees for an orchard, 

 and in doing so cut his own road for a distance of nearly thirty miles. 



D. A. Blodgett also located at or near Hersey in 1851, embarking in the 

 business of lumbering for several years before he gave especial attention to 

 farming. 



The two were also pioneers in orchard planting, as each planted an orchard 

 at an early date, probably prior to 1860. With Mr. Gooch came also Alex- 

 ander McFarlane and F. S. Robbins, both farmers. 



The trees planted by Mr. Gooch were purchased of John Tuxberry, four 

 miles north of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and were successful and of satisfactory 

 varieties. In many of the earliest plantings orchards suffered more or less 

 severely from the burning of fallows and timbered lands in close proximity. 



Among the varieties of apples which have been found successful here are 

 Golden Russet (of western New York), Twenty-ounce, Wagener, Fall Pippin, 

 Talman Sweet, Northern Spy, Sweet Pear and Westfield Seeknofurther. 

 Cherries, so far, have not been found successful. 



Down to the present time the local market has consumed the surplus fruit. 



There is a nursery at Sears, in the southeastern part of the county, and a 

 smaller one at Tustin, in the northwest, both which are said to be in a pros- 

 perous condition. There are also seedling apple nurseries on many farms, in 

 nearly every township in the county, from which many thrifty orchards have 

 been planted. 



