the torrid heats and protracted drouths of our Southern summers, 

 would seem to be favorably situated, for drawing forth the utmost 

 capacities of the soil. As it is obvious that a favorable soil is an 

 essential condition to the full eifect of so propitious a climate, I 

 ought to add, that on the immediate shore of the lake, the soil is 

 generally sandy, and covered by a forest growth, consisting of 

 evergreen and deciduous trees, intermixed. From half a mile to 

 three miles inland, the soil becomes more loamy." Prof. Wiachell 

 says elsewhere, " Our cold winds generally proceed from the 

 Southwest or West. Passing over the open water of Lake 

 Michigan, sixty miles in width, the temperature of which never 

 sinks below 32 ^ , it is impossible to avoid abstracting a consider- 

 able amount of heat, so that when these cold westerly winds 

 strike the Michigan shores of the lake, the severity of the winter 

 gales is materially mitigated. The equalizing influence of the 

 lake is much greater than is generally supposed, and the whole 

 belt of country bordering it on the East, is alFected by its hydro- 

 graphical position, much like the peninsula of Florida, Sweden 

 and the British Islands." He claims. that the Northwestern shore 

 of Michigan is far better protected than the St. Joseph region, for 

 the very obvious reason that the Southwest winds sweep round 

 tbe head of the lake, or pass over a small body of water, before 

 striking the latter place, but cannot touch the Northern shore, 

 without passing over the entire width of the lake, which, as before 

 said, greatly mitigates their severity. He says of the Northern 

 shore, that "the tubers of the dahlias remain in the earth with 

 impunity, and delicate green-house roses f^tand out with 

 greater security than in Alabama and Louisiana." As to its fruit- 

 growing capacity, he says " I doubt whether any other portion of 

 the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, will be able to 

 compete with it. It has been a complete surprise to the inhabit- 

 ants to learn that peaches, apples, grapes, pears, raspberries, 

 strawberries and other fruits, can be cultivated with success. 

 The discover}^ has given a wonderful impetus to this branch of 

 enterprise; and unless my judgment greatly misleads me, we 

 shall hear of this region as the fruit orchard of the country, and 

 shrewd men with horticultural tastes, will thank me for directing 

 attention to this open avenue to wealth." Such are the statements 

 of one of the ablest scientific authorities of the United States, 

 who is thoroughly familiar with the region, and surely no one is 

 better qualified to give a correct and reliable opinion on this 

 subject. 



FRUITS. 



At a convention of Fruit Growers held at Spring Lake, Feb. 

 3, 1869, the extraordinary fact was vouched for by practical fruit 

 growers, that at Spring Lake and vicinity, during the last ten 

 years, there had only been one total failure of the peach crop. 



