^^62 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'. 



During 1892 the papers and discussions have been very good and taken 

 a wide range of topics. The society, during the winter months, has met in 

 a hall in the city of Muskegon, but during warm weather held large, well- 

 attended meetings at the homes of the members upon their farms. In the 

 large new court house, just completed in the county, a room has been 

 assigned this society, and is being finished and furnished in a suitable 

 manner, in which to hold meetings and keep records, library, exhibits, etc. 



C. L. Whitney, President. 



SOUTH HAVEN AND OASCO POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



OFFICERS FOE THE YEAR 1892. 



President — Joseph Lannin, South Haven. 



Vice-President — O. Beebe, South Haven. 



Secretary — W. H. Payne, South Haven. 



Treasurer — J. J. Atherly, South Haven. 



Executive Board— J. G. Eamsdell, John Mackey, D. E. Histed. 



This society has held weekly meetings during the winter months, and 

 up to the busy fruit season in the spring, when they were discontinued 

 until the busy season was over. During these meetings various subjects 

 were introduced, by the committee appointed for that purpose, and 

 exhaustively discussed. These were: "What fertilizers have been most 

 successful in growing the different kinds of fruit;" discussion of the pub- 

 lished report of J. H. Hale's successful peach-growing; " How high shall 

 peach trees be headed?" "Trimming and pruning;" " How shall we grade 

 our peaches to ensure the best results in packing?" " Fertilizing: how. 

 when, and with what material?" "Pruning of all kinds, including vines;" 

 " Arbor day and how it will and has improved and beautified the town- 

 ship;" "Transportation and packages." This discussion was so vital and 

 interesting that committees were appointed to wait upon the manufacturers 

 and transportation companies and try to make better terms with them, 

 with the result that transportation was lessened twenty per cent, or from 

 five cents per basket, for transportation by boat to Chicago, to four cents 

 per basket; and the baskets were reduced in price from four cents to three 

 and one half cents, and the next year to three cents. 



Then the exhibit of Michigan fruit at the World's Fair was taken uj) 

 and discussed for several sessions, and many cf the fruitgrowers offered 

 both plants and trees to be taken up and replanted in boxes for use at the- 

 Fair, as an object lesson, showing' the fruit growing on the trees. Several 

 committees were appointed to secure the specimens offered, and others, 

 each committee having but one kind of fruit to handle. Ten specimens of 

 each kind were to be obtained and cared for and forwarded to Chicago at 

 the proper time. 



The curl-leaf came in for discussion at one meeting, and it seemed the 

 prevailing opinion that great harm had already come of it on the peach, 



