BENZIE COUNTY, 383 



It has held regular annual fairs since 1863, and the most prominent part of 

 its exhibitions has been the show of fruit. 



The Benzie County Horticultural Society was organized as auxiliary to the 

 State Horticultural Society on February 8th, 1881. Its annual report for 

 that year gives the crop of fruit grown in the county in 1880 as follows: 

 Apples, 8,597 bushels; peaches, 1,140 bushels; pears, 104 bushels; plums, 650 

 bushels; cherries, 125 bushels. Value about 110,000. The value of orchard 

 products reported for Benzie county in census of 1870 was |;60.00. 



At its meeting in January, 1882, there was a good display of Golden Russet, 

 Eoxbury Russet, Rhode Island Greening, Rawle's Janet and Ben Davis apples. 



C. H, Parker showed excellent specimens of Salem, lona, Agawam, Perkins 

 and Isabella grapes. The meeting was a successful one. 



A floral display, in competition for prizes offered, was held at the August 

 meeting. Premiums for fruits were also offered at the November meeting. 



1883 was not a favorable year for fruit; yet the society held regular 

 monthly meetings. Complaints were made of the destruction of fruit buds 

 by the partridge or ruffled grouse, and of the browsing of young trees and the 

 pulling out of grafts by deer. 



The society held nine meetings during 1884. Others were broken up by 

 storms or other causes. 



On June 24th and 25th, 1885, the State Horticultural Society held its 

 summer meeting at Frankfort, with a carriage excursion on the second day 

 along the delightful shores of Crystal lake to Benzonia and its vicinity. A 

 full account of the meeting occurs in the general history. The failure of the 

 fruit crop had a depressing effect upon the society, which greatly discouraged 

 attendance at its meetings during the year. 



In 1886 the September meeting of the society was signalized by the presence 

 of H. E. Van Deman. pomologistof the agricultural department, Washington, 



D. C. (a brother of J. W. Van Deman, secretary of this society), who took 

 occasion to say: " He had seen in this State, during the month of September, 

 principally from the Grand Traverse region and the fruit belt on the east 

 shore of Lake Michigan, a finer showing of plums at fairs and on the trees 

 than anywhere else he had been in the country. The plums of California do 

 not excel those of Benzie county in quality." 



At this meeting a first premium for a display of fruit was awarded to D. R. 

 Van Aniberg, second to Abel M. Smiltzer, third to James Rice. 



According to the census of 1884, Benzie county had of apple orchards 1,053 

 acres, 24,461 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 4,175 bushels of fruit. 



Peach orchards, 123 acres, 3,966 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 605 bushels 

 of fruit. 



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

 $6,880.00. 



Vineyards, 8 acres; grapes sold in 1883, 80 pounds. 



wine made in 1883, 28 gallons. 



Nurseries, 3 acres; products sold in 1883, $390.00. 



Market garden products sold in 1883, 14,088.00. 



