76 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Geo. F. Comings, of St. Joseph, also sent apples and Howell pears. Mr. 

 S. H. Comings also sent Seckel pears. Several parties are said to have sent 

 specimens of grapes direct in care of the commission, at Boston, If so, no 

 notice of them was received through the mail, and in the hurry of unpacking 

 their identity was lost. Should such prove the fact, they can be hereafter 

 acknowledged. It is the purpose of the commission to accord a credit to all 

 contributors, whether their contributions became part of the actual exhibit or 

 not. 



A committee selected by the Soutii Haven Pomological Society, for the pur- 

 pose of making a collection for this object, from that vicinity, seem to have 

 chosen to forego this purpose, and to devote their energies to the effort to win 

 cash premiums at Chicago and Jackson instead. No collection whatever was 

 received from there, save a peck basket of peaches, very nicely put up, by M. 

 H. Bixby, to show his mode of packing this fruit for distant transportation ; 

 together witlr nine varieties of apples from L, H. Bailey, one variety from J. 

 G. Ramsdell, and two varieties of pears from Hon. Geo. Hannahs, 



The committee to collect for the Saugatuck and Douglas Pomological Soci- 

 ety failed to send anything. The Allegan Pomological Society furnished a fine 

 collection of peaches, together with thirteen varieties of apples, the contribu- 

 tion of J. H. Wetmore, of that place; also three varieties of peaches, from 

 S. Rumery, of the neighboring town of Monterey. 



C. A. Duttcn, the president of the society at Holland, Ottawa county, sent a 

 fine collection of fruits, including apples, peaches and grapes, mostly of his 

 own growth, but partially contributed by others. A separate package, con- 

 taining grapes contributed by Mr. DeVries, which came in later, was sent in a 

 separate package. 



Although the Muskegon Society had a committee charged with the duty of 

 collecting fruits for this purpose, the only collection received from that place 

 was a set of eight varieties of Rogers' Hybrid grapes, grown by S. B, Peck, 

 and by him packed and expressed direct to Boston, where they arrived in good 

 condition on the second day of the exhibition. 



The northwest division included the counties of Oceana, Newaygo, Mont- 

 calm, and all north of them and west of the meridian of Mackinaw. This 

 was assigned to J. G. Ramsdell. He collected from his own orchards 26 va- 

 rieties of apples, varieties of pears, 7 varieties of plums, 1 variety of nec- 

 tarine, 3 varieties of peaches, and 3 varieties of cherries. His collection 

 included a fine plate each of Golden Russet and Roxbury Russet, grown in 

 1880. 



The central division included the region tributary to the Detroit, Grand 

 Haven and Milwaukee railway and that tributary to the Michigan Central 

 railway, with the intervening territory, omitting that included in other dis- 

 tricts. This territory was assigned to \V. K. Gibson, who was to be assisted by 

 H. Dale Adams. No specimens were collected by either of these gentlemen. 



Secretary C. W. Garfield, of the State Pomological Society, prepared a 

 pamphlet called, "A Glimpse of Michigan Horticulture." 



According to the plan previously adopted, the commissioners met at the 

 room of the State Horticultural Society in the State capitol on Friday, Sep- 

 tember 9, and devoted two days to assorting and repacking fruits. 



All of the commissioners left Jackson on Monday morning, the 13th of Sep- 

 4;ember, and attended the meeting in Boston, 



The exhibition was held in the upper hall of the Massachusetts Horticult- 

 ural Society, whose fruit and vegetable exhibit completely filled the spacious 



