198 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Mr. Morrill: Well, have the people themselves? 



Mr. Graham: Certain classes of people always are, of course; other 

 classes are not. 



Mr. Morrill : Is there any improvement noticeable in that among the 

 people? 



Mr. Graham : I do not know that I am prepared to say. I know quite a 

 number in nij immediate vicinity. We never have had any trouble in that 

 township, to amount to anything. Of course, the first season there was 

 some objection to taking out trees — the first season the commissioners 

 acted. Since then I think they have been taken out without any difficulty 

 whatever and without any bother; but this year, in some of the adjoining 

 townships, especially in Ottawa county, which adjoins my own township, 

 there has been a good deal of trouble. You recollect that when we were 

 at Grand Haven there was a good deal of complaint that the commis- 

 sioners would not work, they would not take out the trees, and several 

 of the commissioners have been to see me regarding the law and what 

 authority they might have, and of course the only thing to do was to 

 refer them to the nursery and orchard inspector, which I have done. In 

 the township of Wright, I think Prof. Taft was called upon at one time 

 by Mr. Wilde, and he has been having a very great deal of trouble in 

 that township. Taking it altogether, I suppose there was as much trouble 

 from the activity of the commissioners this season, as much trouble as 

 ever has been in those townships w^here their work is practically a new 

 thing. I do think, however, that the commissioners have been far more 

 active this season than ever before in the section around Grand Kapids. 



Mr. Hale: The small fruits in Oceana county were an enormous crop. 

 Everything we had was good and prices very unsatisfactory. The apple 

 crop was very short, and the peach and plum crops were short also. 



Mr. Morrill: What do you say of the j)i'(^sent condition of your or- 

 chards? Mr. Hale: It is good, 



Mr. Kellogg: Did you have a severe drouth up there in October? 



Mr. Hale : We had a drouth. 



Mr. Morrill: What about the pests and diseases? 



Mr. Hale: I do not think that on the whole they are any worse than 

 in other years. The plum has a good deal to contend with. With the 

 curculio we did not have as much trouble as usual, on account of the 

 cold weather, and other pests we have not noticed to be any worse than 

 usual; but the diseases of trees, especially yellows, were worse than 

 ever. In fact, it is the first season we have had very much difficulty with 

 that disease. We have quite a good deal of it now. 



Mr. Kellogg: I am more largely interested in small fruits than any- 

 thing else. On my farm everything is in good condition, because we 

 irrigated during the drouth. On other lands the strawberries are almost 

 nothing. The plants hardly stooled any, there being no rain, just light 

 rains that wet only the top of the ground and dried out agaii'i within a 

 few hours after the hot sun came out, from the latter ]iart of July until 

 the middle of October. Of the small fruits, the raspberries are in fair 

 condition and of currants and gooseberrit^s there was a good deal of leaf- 

 blight. I noticed that from one little patch the leaves all Avent off in 

 August, and they made only a spindling growth. There was a fungus on 

 them. Where they were watered and ke])t up in good shape they were all 

 right when winter set in. 



