328 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



was produced, i. e., the first season when a sufficient amount of fruit has been 

 produced to count any in the market. The result has been such as to establish 

 for this variety a favorable impression. The vine is a strong grower and a pro- 

 lific bearer, and with us both vine and fruit are free from disease. It may be 

 tender, i. c, more liable to injury from extremely low temperature than the 

 Concord, but the fruit is of better quality than the Concord, hangs to the vine 

 and stem better and retains its perfection up to the end of the season. This 

 last season the fruit came in competition with the California grape in the Chi- 

 cago market and caused it to sell much lower in price than was anticipated. 

 A few years' further experience with this grape will enable us to judge with 

 more certainty regarding it. 



Pears were a much better crop here than usual, but they sold low. Apples 

 were a heavy crop. Thousands of barrels were shipped from here, chiefly to 

 Chicago and the Northwest. Many thousands of bushels were worked ud in 

 the evaporators here. In the Lawton fruit evaporating establishment 40 tons 

 of evaporated apples have been made. These two Williams' evaporators have 

 sufficed for 300 bushels of apples daily. Besides these Mr. D. W. Powell has a 

 small Williams evaporator, Mr. John Mayhoult a large steam evaporator, and a 

 similar one owned by the Knights of Labor has been in constant operation. 

 Altogether these concerns have sufficed to work up a large quantity of apples. 

 In addition there are two cider mills which have shipped considerable of this 

 detestable fluid. Mr. Powell has made a good deal of boiled cider-apple jelly, 

 etc., which articles he makes very expeditiously and of excellent quality at his 

 steam works. 



Fruit growing for market, which began here about twenty years ago in a 

 small way, has gradually grown into a business of considerable magnitude. It 

 has brought happiness and moderate wealth to a goodly number of families 

 and added greatly to the prosperity of this community. The experiences of the 

 past have left nothing of discouragement. On the contrary, profiting by the 

 mistakes and failures, the really thoughtful and skillful growers have only 

 gained an assurance of making their business still more successful in the 

 future. 



