FRUIT TREES EN" MICHIGAN. 23 



Many of the farms which were closely crowded on the banks of 

 the Detroit River had orchards of several hundred apple, cherry, 

 and pear trees, among which were the Red and White Calvilles, 

 the Detroit Red, the Pomme de Neige or Fameuse, the Pomme 

 Grise, Russets, Pearmains, and other apples not so well known. 

 But, while the pear trees flourish in a green old age, the apple 

 orchards are fast disappearing, and it is probable that even the 

 pear trees, which belong to the old habitants of Detroit, will perish 

 with them and their homesteads, and that another half- century will 

 see the last of those magnificent trees. 1 



Tradition says that some of the early French missionaries 

 brought pear seeds, scions, and trees from Normandy as early as 

 1749. The apple orchards have not been traced farther back than 

 1749. A portion of the varieties are of Canadian origin, and indi- 

 cate that the collections were brought from that province. Some of 

 the apple trees at Detroit were grafted by Capt. Cowan, who com- 

 manded a small vessel on the lakes, and had been gardener to Gen. 

 Washington previously to 1789. The settlers of Michigan, after its 

 organization as a Territory in 1805, found here and there about the 

 State orchards of seedling apple trees planted by the Indians, 

 which, though of great age, were healthy and productive. About 

 1825 Gov. William Woodbridge planted two thousand apple trees 

 and some pear trees on his farm, now part of the city of Detroit. 

 The first peach tree at St. Joseph, where that fruit is now so suc- 

 cessfully cultivated, was raised from the pit by Mr. Burnett, the 

 Indian trader, who came there about 1775. The settlers in 1829 

 found peach trees growing there, and, as soon as they had made 

 their clearings, they planted apple and peach seeds. 2 



William Penn, writing on the 16th of the 8th month, 1683, after 

 mentioning the mulberries, chestnuts, walnuts, plums, strawberries, 

 cranberries, whortleberries, and grapes growing naturally in the 

 woods, said there were also veiy good peaches ; not an Indian 

 plantation was without them. He thought the} r were not inferior 

 to any peach in England, except the true Newington. He ques- 

 tioned whether it was best to attempt to improve the fruits of the 

 country, especially the grape, by the care and skill of art, or to 

 send for foreign stems and sets, already good and approved. It 



1 Paper read by Bela Hubbard before the Detroit Pioneer Society; Letter of John C. 

 Holmes ; Report of the Michigan Pomological Society, 1878, p. 174. 



2 Reports of the Michigan Pom. Soc., 1872, 1873, 1878. 



