WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY. 165 



•seasons we are likely to have every three or four years. The two preceding 

 seasons ripened our grapes to perfection. 



0. Beebe, South Haven: Strawberries did not yield well, because the vines 

 were few, but we had good fruit and prices; raspberries and blackberries were 

 a fair crop ; apples, a third of a crop and not good ; pear trees were loaded 

 with fruit which brought paying prices ; peaches were many, but undersize, 

 of bad quality, and brought poor prices. Some vineyards gave excellent 

 fruit, but in many, because of the cold autumn, the grapes did not ripen — in 

 some they even were not harvested. 



S. G. Sheffer, Casoo : What Mr. Beebe said is true also of my vicinity. 

 "Some men had pretty fair crops but most of them had quite the opposite. 

 Apples were very poor, as a rule, though a few were fine. One vineyardist 

 left his vines flat on the ground, with neither stakes nor trellises, and got 

 very fine, ripe grapes of good size. Small fruits, what few we raise, were 

 good enough. 



This statement as to grapes caused a brief discussion, in which Mr. Beebe 

 explained that in this exceptional case the grapes were ripened by the extra 

 heat they received from reflection of the sun's rays from the earth. While it 

 was cool it was also very dry, so that they did not rot. Usually, with such 

 treatment, there would not have been one ripe grape. 



H. H. Hayes, Talmadge, Ottawa county: We had good grapes, apples and 

 peaches in my vicinity. 



H. H. Ray of Watervliet stated substantially the same as Messrs. Morrill 

 and Beebe. 



R. Morrill: There are many grapes at Berrien Springs, fifteen miles back 

 from the lake, on high ground, and there the Concords were this year per- 

 fect, and it is always so. They are away from the chill of the lake. 



W. B. Andruss, Allegan: Apples were pretty good — fairer and batter than 

 last year, at least; grapes ripened well and pears were extra; peaches were good 

 in some places and in others quite poor, and good prices were paid for all 

 that were of fair quality ; of quinces there was a very large crop but low 

 prices ; cherries were a good crop. 



It was asked why there were good prices for peaches in Allegan when quite 

 the opposite was reported from the lake shore. Mr. LaFleur explained that 

 the reasons were two. The crop is not as large as here, though there are 

 some growers of 3,000 bushels or so ; and nearly all of it was sent east, south- 

 east, and south (to Indiana), mainly reaching points not supplied from 

 Chicago. 



Gao, W. Caubb, Lisbon, Ottawa county: Our peaches were few, not as 

 good as those of last year, and were marketed in Grand Rapids at paying 

 prices — 11.25 to $2 per bushel, except on one day when they went down to 

 75 cents. Grapes ripened fully in some vineyards but not in others; and he 

 asked why this was so. 



President Phillips said the difference in this case was doubtless due to the 

 variation in pruning and thinning. 



Levi Loomis, Ganges : Peachss were in number large; in size, quality, and 

 price, quite unsatisfactory. All the orchards suffered from drouth and 

 afforded no profit. There were but few good apples. Grapes were a failure, 

 except that near Fennville some Niagaras matured. 



President Phillips: Moore's Etrly, AVorden, Brighton, Massasoit, and 

 Niagara ripened and were harvested. The Concord did not mature with me. 



