PROCEEDINGS OF THE SUMMER MEETING. 167 



of the peach orchard in the future, on a bright September morning, as 

 the sun shall kiss the sparkling dew from its golden fruit, will continue 

 to say, "To her I owe my fruitfuiness and a long and prosperous life." 

 This element will continue to exercise the same influence in the future 

 that it has in the past. 



In the early history of the state, either because of some of the reasons 

 i have referred to, or because of those of which I know not, peaches 

 could be grown in most sections. Then we find the commercial orchards 

 about St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Allegan county, Kent, Ottawa, Mus- 

 kegon, Oceana, and Mason, and other counties, nearly all keeping an eye 

 single to this great protector on the west; and the peach interest will 

 continue to extend northerly until it reaches well up to the narrows of 

 the lake, and until that is reached the interest will be successfully 

 extended. 



There are many other sections of the state where peaches will be profit- 

 ably grown in the future, but the parties who contemplate the extensive 

 growing of peaches in the future, outside of the influences of lake Michi- 

 gan, may as well figure the risk incident to the business in which they 

 are about to engage, and figure the cost of the uncertainty that will 

 probably attend their efforts. 



Those that seek to grow peaches in Michigan in the future, in undesir- 

 able locations, will as surely meet with loss and disappointment as the 

 grower in the past has done, and for the same reasons; and to those local- 

 ities loss will come because of climatic influences. 



Misfortune may not come the first winter or the next, but we have a 

 right to expect that nature will repeat herself. It has been true in all 

 ages and will continue to be true in the future. The peach-growers of 

 Michigan will continue to increase the acreage in these undesirable 

 localities, both in the peachbelt and outside of it. If we have grown a 

 crop of peaches in such a locality, with success, we are likely to continue 

 to become more venturesome, until nature suddenlv and certainlv calls a 

 halt, and we find years of care and attention swept from us in a day, as 

 we repent by viewing our loss and misfortune. 



It is well known, at this stage of the peach industry, which are the 

 desirable localities for peach'-growing. With a desirable location within 

 the range of the influence of the lake, we have a right to ex])ect that the 

 danger of death to our trees in winter will be reduced to the minimum. 

 Those localities that are unoccupied in Michigan today are legion. North 

 of Muskegon river there are millions of acres of such waiting occupation. 

 ^Ve have a right to expect that man}- of these localities will be occupied 

 in the future and that the occupants will meet with success. 



The soil of a large proportion of the peach-growing district is all that 

 could be desired — dry, rolling, rich. The acreage of peaches in the future 

 will be very largely extended. With that extension, undoubtedly-, yellows 

 will be extended and work northerly until no great area in the state can 

 be said to be free from its ravages. Other diseases will undoubtedly 

 develop and woi'k injuiy to this interest. Insects will become more 

 numerous and destructive, if allowed to run their course, but we have 

 seen in the past, as the peach interest has developed and extended, that 

 the growers have more and more made fruitgrowing a business, and they 

 have been seeking information that, coupled with experience, will be 



