562 STATE HORTICULTURAL, SOCIETY. 



ute defined what a bushel was. As South Haven had always stood at the 

 front for honesty of packages, and the law seemed to require it, it was 

 resolved to discard the fifth peach basket and use only full pecks, and to 

 set our neighbors who still propose to use fifth baskets, a good example. 

 Most of the fruitgrowers signed the agreement, and the factory was noti- 

 fied and it agreed to make them; but, alas! for the frailty of human 

 nature, it was soon claimed that the fifth baskets sold for the same price 

 as the full pecks (buyers would not discriminate), and one by one they all 

 returned to the old ways, and another stone was added to the place said to 

 be paved with good intentions. 



The discussion on the marketing of our own fruit brought up again the 

 old question of a commercial union, and every one seemed to be in favor 

 of it, if it would work. Two plans were proposed and signatures obtained. 

 Both of these plans " died aborning," and another paving stone was added 

 to the pile. 



A letter was received from Prof. Kedzie of the Michigan Agricultural 

 college, proposing to send some of the imported sugar-beet seed to the 

 society, for the members to plant, and after keeping account of time of 

 planting, soil, culture, cost of labor, amoiint or weight per acre, send, with 

 three average beets to the college for analysis. About twenty persons 

 applied for seed; but, as the returns are not in yet, no idea of the result 

 can be obtained. As the season was very dry, the beets did the best on 

 moist land. 



C'An immense crop, the largest on record, has filled the heart of the 

 husbandman with happiness, although the moderate prices obtained for 

 fruit have had a tendency to check extravagance, so that the season of 1891 

 has been on the whole satisfactory. 



WASHTENAW HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OFFICERS FOR 1892. 



President — J. Austin Scott. 



Vice-Presidents— Evart H. Scott, J. J. Parshall, Wm. McCreery. 

 Recording Secretary — J. Ganzhorn. 

 Corresponding Secretary — E. Baur. 

 Treasurer — J. Allmend. 



Executive Committee — Wm. F. Bird, A. A. Crozier, J. C Schenk, H. C. 

 Markham. 



Ornithologist — Prof. J. B. Steere. 

 Climatologist — Prof. M. W. Harrington. 

 Botanist — Prof. V. M. Spalding. 

 Hygienist— ~P rot J. C. Vaughan. 

 Entomologist— A. A. Crozier. 



At the January meeting, after discussion of the unfavorable results of 

 combined shipments to Detroit in the "Ann Arbor Fruit Car," and some 

 general remarks by President Scott, Mr. W. F. Bird spoke on specialties 

 in fruitgrowing. He cited examples of marvelous success by specialists 

 in the culture of strawberries, apples, celery, etc. Specialists can attend 



