DECEMBER MEETING. 259 



110 greenhouse, only uii east "window in tlie sitting room in Avliich to start or 

 keep plants. The majority of her most attractive plants are natives of the 

 surrounding ravines and forests. Here may be learned a lesson. Prepare and 

 keep a good lawn, })lant and keep a medium number of native trees in variety, 

 in shady places and in sunny spots introduce suitable native and common 

 plants ; take good care of tliem, and you may have home grounds far exceeding 

 anything yet ever seen in Michigan. 



Wo visited places to examine OS entries, made in thirteen different counties 

 in remote parts of our State, including Traverse, Kent, Oceana, Ottawa, 

 Allegan, Van Buren, Berrien, Kalamazoo, Ionia, Monroe, JiCnawee, Hillsdale, 

 AV^ashtcnaw. Vv'e were occui)ied 25 or 26 days in the orchards and vineyards, 

 and travelled 1450 miles. We cannot enumerate all the courtesies shown by 

 numerous persons, but we must mention a few who, by circumstance or other- 

 wise, rendered us unusual service. Among these are J. G. Ramsdell, Reynolds 

 ii Tracy, Geo. Parmelee, C. J. Sliirts, II. E. Bidwell, Wm. II. Miller, C. Engle, 

 and the officers of the following railways : Grand Eapids & Indiana, Chicago & 

 Michigan Lake Shore, Lake Sliorc & Micliigan Southern, Michigan Central, 

 Detroit, Lansing & Northern, Detroit & Milwaukee. 



Passing, as two of the committee have for several times in former years in 

 many counties of Michigan, we cannot help noticing the rapid development of 

 fruit culture, and the great excent of land well adapted to raising many choice 

 varieties. We cannot refrain from mentioning the fertile and well improved 

 farms in the older portions of the State, and every year produces wonderful 

 changes in the newer portions. We feel proud of our State, not more for what 

 she has done than for what she is likely to become in the near future. 



The Society took a recess for dinner. 



Afternoon Session. 



After a bountiful lunch provided by the friends of the Grand River Valley 

 Horticultural Society, at 1 : 30 P. M. the society listened to a continuance of 

 the report of the orchard committee. 



€. N. MERPwIMAX-S REPORT OX VINEYARDS AND CHERRY ORCHARDS, 



Your committee on the vineyards, entered for prcmuim \\\ 1877, will first 

 offer to your consideration and for the study and instruction of those interested 

 m grape culture, the vineyard of Judge J. G. Ramsdell, near Traverse City, — 

 the first or earliest in the order of examinations made, and being the farthest 

 northward of the vineyard entries of this year. The location is high, with east- 

 ward slope, overlooking the city and Grand Traverse Bay. This vineyard con- 

 tains two and one-half acres, with a soil of sandv loam and some gravel, with 

 plenty of lime, and a lirni, com])act subsoil impregnated with iron ; the natural 

 drainage is ample and may well save the extra cost of tiling. The selection 

 consists mainly of the five varieties, in the order of their relative value for profit, 

 in his estimation, as follows, viz. : lona, Wilder (Rogers' 4), Delaware, Con- 

 cord, Agawam (Rogers' 15), but few of the latter, — lona being first in the 

 scale of profit, and netting 15 cents a pound for wine alone, proving too valua- 

 ble in wine-making to off'er in the market with the others; therefore none are 

 sold, and no others than lonas arc used for this purpose from this vineyard. 

 But, for a market grape, the Wilder outranks all his others, it being with liim 



