280 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ing with displiiys of fruit, flowers and music, the meeting adjourned, leaving 

 the time for holding the next meeting to be fixed by the Executive Committee. 



August Meeting. 



President Scott in the chair. 



The secretary read circulars from the secretary of tlie State Pomological 

 Society, regarding their annual exhibition to be held at Detroit in September, 

 1879. President Scott made an earnest appeal to the society to be represented 

 at tlie State fair, and urged all to help forward the interests of this society. 

 A committee was appointed consisting of S. W. Dorr, E. King, James Toms, 

 Martin Clark, and Jacob Ganzliorn to collect fruits and flowers and take 

 charo^e of the societv's exhibit at the fair. 



President Scott said that the Post and Tribune sent out circulars respecting 

 fruit culture, throughout the State, and in answer to it, he mentioned to the 

 meeting, that the secretary had written a reply on the fruit interest of this 

 county, which he would like him to read. The secretary complied, reading 

 as follows : 



Strawberry culture is steadily increasing here and I consider it profitable. 

 In the present season it was estimated that 100 bushels were consumed here 

 daily, all grown here. Thus far the new varieties have gained no foothold 

 here. After a few years' trial they succumb to the Wilson. The new varieties 

 that were introduced within a year or two, of course, cannot be fairly judged 

 till after a few years' trial. Some of our growers feel sanguine that some of 

 them will make a stand. My first choice is the Wilson, next the Jucunda, for 

 market. I am cultivating an acre, 95 per cent of which are the Wilson. I 

 like the Charles Downing and Monarch of the West, but cannot endorse them 

 yet as market berries. The W^ilson will return more money for the labor and 

 skill applied than any other variety I have tested. 



On elevated ground the most profitable fruit grown here is the peach. Why? 

 more bushels of peaches are grown to the acre than there are apples. One 

 bushel of peaches sells for about the same money as five bushels of apples. 

 This is the fourth crop of peaches here hand-running, the trees bearing a lit- 

 tle more every year, thus increasing the yield of fruit according to the increase 

 of growth of wood. The apple yields to its full capacity about every other 

 year, whereas the peach is more uniform in its yield, or, rather, steadily in- 

 creases its crop. The peach tree bears much younger than the apple. The 

 peach is the most salable of all fruits. 



Best six winter apples to my own taste, are Ked Canada, Jonathan, Phode 

 Island Greening, American Golden Kusset, Yellow Bellflower, and Baldwin. 

 The last mentioned is the most profitable winter apple by a large percentage. 

 The Baldwin succeeds well on elevated ground. Rhode Island Greening suc- 

 ceeds well ; so do the Northern Spy and Ked Canada. I store my apples in 

 barrels, with both heads in. I cultivate the ground clean. 



Fruit culture is on a steady gain here. It largely adds to the value of prop- 

 erty, and secures quicker sales of the same. 



Amsden's June, Hale's Early in moderate quantit}^, on account of being lia- 

 ble to rot on dry soil. Troth's Early, Early Crawford, Old Mixon, Late Craw- 

 ford, Hill's Chili, and Smock Free, I regard the most profitable and best list 

 .of peaches that ripen in succession for this locality. 



Concord grape for profit; in addition for family use, I grow the Hartford, 



