A PIONEEE HORTICULTUEIST. 273 



his last trip he brought back trees and a few other goods, in all about one-half 

 ton of freight, and the cost of transportation from Detroit to Kalamazoo was 

 over $00. These trees were bought largely of Asa Eowe, one of the early nur- 

 serymen of Rochester. Cions and roots were also obtained at this time of Lay 

 Brothers, of Ypsilanti, who had started a nursery in company with Asa Howe. 



Mr. Dunham found, as did all otliers at this time, a great deal of confusion 

 in the nomenclature of fruits, many single varieties being sold under various 

 names. There was also great uncertainty as to the varieties best adapted to 

 the soil and climate of Michigan. To test varieties and their adaptation to the 

 country he at once began planting a permanent experimental orchard, plant- 

 ing a few specimens of each variety to test their value, and as soon as they came 

 into bearing those that were not found worthy were discarded from the nursery 

 stock and grafted over into something known to be good. This system of 

 testing varieties was a great trouble and expense, but it was one of the begin- 

 nings of our present knowledge of valuable varieties to grow in this State, and 

 if more nurserymen had thus early taken pains to learn the value of varieties a 

 vast amount of labor and expense would have been saved. 



Mr. Dunham made a specialty of apple trees, and rapidly extended his 

 original half acre till he had twelve acres of nursery and about eighteen acres 

 of orcharding. The peach grew well and yielded some fruit nearly every year, 

 but a fair crop was obtained only about once in three years, until the winter of 

 1854-5, when nearly every peach tree in the whole country was killed to the 

 ground. The pear, quince, cherry, and plum were also successfully grown. 

 The latter, free from any depredations of the ** little turk," proved a very 

 profitable fruit. A few roses, lilacs and ornamental trees were cultivated, but 

 met with very little sale. The Dunham nursery became widely known and 

 furnished the main supply of home grown trees for the most of the original 

 orchards about Kalamazoo. Many also came from Grand Kapids, Saugatuck, 

 Paw Paw and other distant points for apple trees. One Dr. Thomas took a 

 large number to plant in Illinois. 



Jonas Woodward was one of the earliest planters of apples in the vicinity of 

 Kalamazoo ; among others who were very early fruit growers were John Knight 

 of Prairie Ronde, Deacon Sherman Comings of Galesburg, Levi Blackman and 

 W. C. Beckwith. Mr. Dunham first introduced the Lombardy poplar, by 

 bringing a few sprouts from western New York, which have since multiplied to 

 a great multitude. The early and enviable reputation which Kalamazoo 

 obtained as a fruit growing town was no doubt largely due to the enthusiastic 

 efforts of Mr. Dunham, who was a great lover of his calling and like others at 

 the present day, very much interested in new varieties. 



Toward the latter part of his stay in Kalamazoo one Tomlinson established a 

 nursery east of the town ; another was started by one Johnson on Grand Prairie ; 

 another by Prouty just out of the village on what is still called "Little Arcadia 

 creek." He did more in ornamental trees and flowers than any other nursery- 

 man at that time. 



Messrs. Bragg & Co. had also made a beginning of their present extensive 

 nursery before Mr. Dunham's removal in 1854 to St. Joseph to engage in 

 raising peaches. His own nursery was sold and soon discontinued. At. St. 

 Joseph Mr. Dunham planted a large orchard of peach and apple trees, and had 

 a peach nursery which was for years the main source of supply for the town 

 and vicinity; and is still persevering in his efforts to grow peaches and fight 

 the yellows. 



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