REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 549 



THE ALLEGAN COUNTY POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



REPORTED BY SECRETARY LAFLEUE. 

 OFFICERS FOR ]887. 



President — Wm. Peet. 

 Vice Presideyit — Charles Manwarring. 

 Treasurer — Allen Wood. 

 Secretary — G. H. La Fleur. 



The society has held regular meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month. 

 We meet at farm houses or some grange hall in different towns. The fore- 

 noon is spent in a social manner, when a picnic dinner is served. After this 

 the meeting is called to order. The secretary prepares the programme for 

 each meeting. A notice of each meeting is published in all the Allegan papers, 

 with the programme. We take up some subject, dividing it into several parts. 

 Some member who has been assigned some one point and given time to pre- 

 pare himself is called upon to lead off with a short talk, confining himself 

 strictly to that part of the main question which had been assigned to him. 

 He is followed by others upon the same point. In this manner we take up 

 each part separately into which the main question is divided. This is fol- 

 lowed by general talk upon the same subject or some other which may be 

 introduced. During the year we have discussed almost every kind of fruit 

 and berries, from the growing of the trees or plants to selling the fruit in 

 the market. Every member is expected to take part in the discussion. The 

 ladies are generally in attendance and sometimes read essays and take part 

 in the questions discussed. 



We do not confine ourselves to questions strictly relating to horticulture, 

 but sometimes talk upon questions that interest farmers and their wives. We 

 generally have on exhibition at the meetings the products of the garden or or- 

 chard. This is for the purpose of comparing varieties of fruit and correcting 

 names; these specimens are commented upon and all are permitted to examine 

 them; this renders our meetings educational as well as pleasant. The attend- 

 ance has been good during the year, with increasing interest on the part of mem- 

 bers and a better appreciation of the work of the society by the public in 

 general. We have discarded long essays and now have short, practical talks 

 from each member. The Allegan Gazette publishes a full report of our 

 meeting. The secretary keeps these published reports on file for reference. 



