26 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE 



and intelligent fruit husbandry, have little time to waste in 

 experiments ; they need most to come directly to the utility 

 and profit of the business in hand. 



Calculate, if you can, the value of the time and the amount 

 of money foolishly expended in tree culture, for the last 

 twenty years, in Western Michigan ! It would amount to 

 tens of thousands of dollars ; and where, to-day, we have a few 

 valuable orchards, we ought to have the land covered with 

 productive, fruit-bearing varieties, sufficient to support every 

 man, woman, and child in the section alluded to. There 

 has been a great lack of skill and knowledge — a want of a 

 well matured purpose. But let us not be too harsh in our 

 judgments. 



WHY THIS GREAT DIVERSITY? 



It is very easy to account for this great diversity and indi- 

 rectness in our fruit culture. Men have come from Northern 

 and Southern Ohio, totally unlike our latitude ; many have 

 come from the hardy clime of Canada; a large swarm are 

 here from New England, who, true to their nature, brought 

 with them all their New England prejudices ; a great mass 

 are from Northern and Southern New York; Pennsylvania 

 and New Jersey have sent their share, and other sections 

 theirs ; so that we are a mixed multitude, and every man has 

 sought to bring his old favorite apple tree with him ! Every 

 one has fondly desired to transplant from his old homestead 

 the apple tree of his boyhood days, and has endeavored to per- 

 petuate those sorts and kinds that gave a glow and cheer to 

 the hearthstone of his sires. It is not a weakness, and is no 

 disgrace, to love the fruits, the trees, the flowers, the birds, 

 that blossomed, bloomed, and sung on the old homesteads. It 

 could not be expected that men would know in advance ; it 

 was all they could do to bring the knowledge of their sections 

 with them. Certain it is, however, that every clime, every 

 latitude, has its own peculiar favorite fruit; certain it is that 

 Northern and Southern Ohio are unlike in their productions; 



