ALLEGAN COUNTY POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 363 



Michigan. As we are more interested to know what varieties are best 

 adapted to our own immediate section, I will namo: Baldwin, Stark, Hub- 

 bardston, Nortliern Spy, Jonathan, Red Canada. I have named these kinds 

 as beino; adapted to this section and safe to plant out for an orchard. There 

 are several other valuable kinds, which aie fairly successful, but having some 

 weak points. 



A voice: Why leave out the Ben. Davis? 



The Ben. Davis tree is hardy, fairly productive, and a good keeper, but the 

 fruit has one very weak point which when tlie public find out they will refuse 

 to buy it. It is inferior in quality as grown in Michigan. 



MEETING AT HAMILTON". 



Accepting an invitation to meet at Hamilton, a dozen or more members of 

 the Allegan county society were on hand at an early hour, Aug. 16, but were 

 not met by as many people of the locality as they had hoped to see. The pur- 

 pose of the meeting was to give information about cultivation of small fruits 

 to a number of persons who are about to begin in the business, as lands there- 

 about are well suited to that purpose. There was a fair attendance in the 

 afternoon, and after entertainment at dinner of most of the visitors, in the 

 homes of some of the most hospitable villagers, President Peet called to order 

 and introduced the first speaker. 



A. J. Warner: Small fruit growing is a subject of large magnitude, and 

 while my experience leads me to practices which might not be invariably best 

 for others, yet in a general way the principles are well established. Cultiva- 

 tion of fruit is profitable as to finance and beneficial as to the health of the 

 cultivator. The country about Hamilton is favorable to small fruits, espec- 

 ially grapes, while berries would do well, and pears also. Fruit growing pays 

 in combination with general farming. Fruit brings money easier and the 

 pleasure of its culture is much greater. I have 300 or 400 vines bearing 

 grapes this year. Will they be profitable? Well, I find well grown fruit 

 always salable and always yielding profit in greater or less degree. As to 

 varieties, grow what the public demands. You cannot form and control the 

 public taste. Gluts sometimes occur, and we must expect them and bear the 

 consequences ; but on the whole there is money in fruit growing. 



Pres. Walter Phillips of the West Michigan Fruit Grower's Association : 

 Overproduction exists only as to poor fruit. The market is always good for 

 the best fruit of every kind. Allegan county, by soil, climate and location, 

 is peerless in the whole north and west as a fruit region. There is money in 

 the larger fruits in all parts of the county, but here there is money in small 

 fruits also, especially grapes. I have in my vineyard forty-one varieties of 

 American grape, but would recommend only three or four of them for general 

 cultivation. Six points are to be considered — hardiness, earliness, abundant 

 bearing, popularity — showiness, keeping and vigor of vine — capacity to re- 

 sist insects, mildew, cold, etc. I would choose Worden and Moore's Early 

 for black — the latter is a shy bearer but always sells high, and Worden is a 

 long keeper; for red, Brighton, and for white, Niagara only. The Niagara 

 bears abundantly (five to six tons per acre have been yielded successively, on 

 heavy soil, and it does proportionately well on lighter soil). It bears early — 

 the third year. I have seen, in the vineyard of H. H. Hayes, in Ottawa 

 county, fourteen tons hanging on the vines of two and one-half acres, and 



