, 1872-12-20
ST. JOE.
A Winter-Review Of the Great
Fruit-Region.
Present Magnitude OF the Fruit"
Trade.
An Appet1ziag Ramb1e Among
Orchards and Vines.

Orchards and Vines.
From Our o1on Correspondent
sr. JOSEPH, Mich, Dec. IL, 1879.
Winter falls upon Western Michigan like =
9aniahod lion seeking for food in early morning.
Exceptional in the terrible frosts OF winter, and
the unprecedented drouth Of summer, the close
of the year 1879 is exceptional also in its early
and unusual storms OF wind and SNOW. From
the extreme northern to the most eouthern
Ferge Of this favorite fruit garden Of the North
west the peach orchards, the pear orchards, the
apple, plum, cherry, and ounce orchards, the
grape terraces and vineyards, the strawberry,
blackberry, and raspberry fields arc decked in
snow, dressed in snow, buried in snow, over
which the wind aighs and moans one moment,
and the next cayorts with the glad energy Of q
mad steed let loose from the cave Of Hintry
E,olus. Blow on wild winds The lords OF tho
manor are beyond your power snfe housed, weu
clad well warmed and blessed with cheerful homes
and heavy loaded tables. Their barns are full
Of hay and feed, the joy OF strong horses End
conterted large-uddered cows, while corn-fed
swine grunt deep satisfaction from their warm
pens, and trim hocks Of household poultry c1uck
end cacEle over the joy Of Christmas
eggs Their cellar and pantry are stocked
with peach, plum, cherry, ounce, strawberry,
and raspberry preserves, and "iou." There nre
bins OF apples, baskets of pears, choice grapes
in cotton; potatoes by the barrel beets, turnps,
onions, bushel On bushel tomatoes canned. and
sweet corn, with an unlimited stock Of dried
fruits. Surely the land flows with milk and
honeyl Let tho wind blow, it only magnifes
and intensifes the comforts Of home; the COM
forts OF the hard toi1ing fruit grover, who has
no more work to do until next season spreads
oat its beautiful promise Of new fields OF golden
fruit to conquer.
a D1r or HISTORY.
The Indian who padded his bark
c-aoe into the mouth OF the st.
Joseph River fifty years ago, would DO no
more astonished at the present Importance and
wonderful growth OF the st. Joseph fruit re-
Eion, than the good fathers, who themselves
TAINTED the first orchard, or the pioneer who
staked ont the first claim. or the victim Of mis-
placed confidence, who settled in st. Joe with
the expectation that it WIS to be the grand ter
minus OF the Michigan Central Railroad, the
Chicago of the West and stranded because he
had no money to Pay his fare when the great
company de6cd Legislative enaetnent and left
the mouth OF the river upon distant o6-side.
Year followed year, bearing through st. Jo-
eeph Concord coaches loaded with United States
Erails, and half q dozen extras every day, whose
passengers conld not perceive the earthly value
~ th;s re.,;an 1,a Grst neaeh etdnea pe becans
treea 1oaded wifi n.cnifcent eaedjinre. end
bore fruit thirty years before N improved
cn ear1v Crasfori neaeh ee1t r. rb;ca-
" ny +Sa,, t1,ez go 90. ~ %
e., 4ha+ 4'sa hnrss ,nsdd,a5 +ha1n a. ono az
street for 10 centa each. From this small be-
ginning, the shipment Of improved Varieties
h .n1 neco9a el ~ anfu f year
49, 1,nn5,eJ nacl ehasIa4o rsLIch vera hnnoht
~ ~ % "a ner haskat 5he % pecnliaritv m W wbieh
<corba5 s. 5osan1, naeeh cu]ti,Te in ita infanov
rnd stsrnne5 Il 1t,, snccaas law in the certaintv
~ +ha cran New come~r Tenfured to set ont
e-.bar5a v1,;fe o1d orchard;ata cama from
oh-naa r. nnrcIase land and set ont neach trees
rvhera hotf soil and climate combined to syert
any failure. The isothermsl influence Of Lake
~ e1:s1; - ~. ~ -,rFo15aJ tLa 800, E,e 80
- 5;sas5 mss - ca-e,, ~ 1890 ooao1,55
4het neachea wnn,d continne to rTow and hear
-1,are traas ha,; horne for thirtv anccae.;pa
80 ra1a ton and twe1va ;ncl1ea n I;amatar
snd sinread over 7O0 snnara fegt OF eronnd.
Tha ,ncrcaso in tho nun,ber Of neach trees- 1ike
the growth Of the peach market. was gloT. When
1he 4rst iarre Orchard of ffteen acres was sat
~. ona ~ 1}ha ,noat saoarinna ~ ronno Cb;ca.
vi tT roerc5,s1ta ec1araa te 4hst
SSohor5 .ron15 -1,,t +ha noar1at y Tot rn+;1 1aEn
- +I;e .5 81. in-ao ar.La.do - ;ron-ovo5
frr1it bepin to nour into Chicaros whose csnaeitv
1or neark conan4n1tion 1ent nsca wifi, nesoh nrn.
Gucrion.
-T3,a, 1-,s .5aaa ~ +1a fo-7ror ca,}ojnt7, ~ q
4oIH - "a9 u4tIu ~ 'ao ~, ,4ue1 ee.sS' ~
1Iop me ce1sa1nIy OF nalRe1 LUZ every peacn
ct femnner1uVe prices and from lns moment
the development OF the st. Joseph frut region
may be fairly Rnld to have become certainty
twelve wears ago. Like angel yigits, the ecatter-
al orchards nest}ed in the tonph old forest The
fata shora aonth from ST. Josenh Was a mere
track in The woods with only an occasional clear
ING.
The site OF the now thriving village of Benton
Harbor vas a ssnd barren. covered with thicketg
~ scrnh oala end IL was jnterrnnted hv
swsmn holes irnnenetrabla eaye by the Wild fox
n,5 aaar rr3;o1, fae, +l,or, +1olxo naora .oo had
s - 81. 1..;.to .A...,