WI^^TEK MEETING, 1S79. 3 



the oponins: is a e^ood one, — and where fi'uit culture is confined to the farminc-- 

 districts, or rather left in the hands of fanners, we cannot sret satisfactory 

 results; but one thino^ has been demonstrated, we have tlie re^^ion for tlie pro- 

 duction of especially fine small fruits, and not very small at that. 



FRO^l S. ^V. FOWLER, MANISTEE. 



In re])ly to yours of the 25tli, I would say that the prospect for a s^ood 

 fruit season was never better in the Manistee region. The coldest weather 

 registered tlius far was six degrees above zero, and there has been neither frost 

 nor cold to injure the tenderest fruit bud. 



The hard winter of several years since which caused such havoc among 

 fruit trees generally in the west, seriously injured peaches here, and though it 

 did not destroy them, confidence was shaken, and for a season there was hesi- 

 tation in regard to investing in the business. For the past two years, how- 

 ever, the mercury has not touched zero, and once only in twelve years has tlie 

 cold injured even peaches. Under these circumstances the conclusion is 

 irresistible that this is one of the best fruit-growing regions in the world, and 

 people are now generally turning their attention more or less to fruit culture, 

 and we can but think that in a few vears at farthest, Manistee will take her 

 place in the front rank of fruit-growing counties. 



There can be but one explanation of the mildness of the winters here; it 

 is found in the great depth of Lake Michigan and in the fact that the prevail- 

 ing winds are from the west and southwest. When the mercury was 6"^ above 

 zero this winter in Manistee, it was 10° below in Chicago and Milwaukee, and 

 20° below in southern and central Michigan. Here fruit is comparatively free 

 from worms, and curculio is unknown. Manistee plums are not excelled by 

 any we have ever seen, and thus far have taken the first premium wherever 

 exhibited, and at the State Fair twice, indicating that this is a peculiarly 

 inviting field for the culture of this delicious fruit. 



With farms and fruit lands cheap, and a climate and soil not excelled for 

 orchard purposes, Manistee will undoubtedly make an excellent fruit record in 

 the future. 



FROM J. X. STEARNS, KALAMAZOO. 



As far as I have been able to leai^, there are no kinds of fruit injured in 

 the least by frost as yet, in this county. But it is the general opinion that 

 apples and peaches show rather a thin setting of fruit buds, and this is my 

 own observation on trees that were allowed to overbear last year, while those 

 that boro a light crop, have a full amount of fruit buds this year. Another 

 proof of the benefit of properly thinning advocated by our society. 



FROM A. 0. WIIsCHESTER, ST. JOSEPH. 



Below I send a statement of shipments of fruit from the western townships 

 of Berrien Co. for 1878, condensed from a report furnished by Mr. A. M. 

 Nichols, General Freight Agent of the Chicago and West Michigan R. K., 

 and by Hiram Brown, Esq., Custom House officer at St. Joseph. Also from 

 a report published by the 13enton Harbor Palladium made up at the Custom 

 House at Benton Harbor. 



I regret that I cannot give each kind of fruit, but am unable to do so as 

 tlie only report that specifies each kind is the one from Benton Harbor : 



