Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-09-14

Secretary Garfield of the state horti-
cultural society gives the following re-
port of fruit prospects in this state:
About the first of August sent 100
postal cards in envelopes to the most
prominent fruit growers in Michigan,
asking them to return the percentage
of an average crop that the orchards
and vineyards promised for the crop of
1882, with such remarks as would
naturally be suggested by the questions
enclosed.
Nearly all of the returns have been
made at this writing, August IA, and
| am quite surprised AT the results.
Only one corr ,,spOndent puts the apple
crop at a full average, while "a place
it at less than one-fOurth of crop, 80
reports make il less than One-half a
crop, and rs less than three. fourtl.s of
an average yield. The following local
tiles have the most promising show of
apples: lngham, Bay, western Muske-
gon, Manistee, Genesee. Allegan, Ma
comb and Lapeer counties; western
Cass, western Kent, central Barry and
eastern Ottawa all unite in the state
ment that the fruit will be imperfect,
scabby and badly injured by insects.
The crop of pears promises better
than apples, and unless some new diff
Guilty arises there will be rs per cent.
of full yield. There is less blight
this season than for several years,
judging from reports I'D date.
Peaches in unfavOrable localities for
this fruit are a complete failure. Upon
nigh ground in the interior there will
he above half a crop, and upon the re-
hets OF Washtenaw county even better
than this; while upon the lake shore to
the north there will be light yield of
say 40 per cent. In Allegln, Kent, Of
tawa and Muskegon there will be two
thirds of a crop and the fruit very fine.
In Van Buren, and Kalamazoo about
half crop.
The most prolific fruit in Michigan
This year is the grape. There are prom
Uses of very full yield if the season
is prolonged so the clusters will ripen.
Many of the first setting were killed by
frost. There is some mildew appear
ing in several localities, and the recent
wet weather has developed some ten
dency to rot in places where this dis
ease has appeared years before.
The plum crop will De good aver
age where persistent efforts have been
made to fight the curculio.
The peach yellows are gradually
working northward. A few sporadic
cases have been announced as far
north as northern Ottawa and Kent;
but there is a united feeling among
peach growers that every case must be
stamped out of sight.
There are great many theories con-
corning the cause of failure in apples.
1t is laid to east winds, frOsts, moist
weather at time of blossoming, etc.
The most common explanation seems
to be that the continuous frosts through
May weakened the vitality of the young
fruit 30 that it dropped through June.
The varieties of apples that have as
yet hung on the trees best, are Bald
win and Golden Russell. Fall apples
seem to be almost dead failure. The
Northern Spy, which is a great favor
lite in our state, will be represented by
very small quantities in the fruit cell
lars next winter Cider, apple jell, and
evapUrated apples will be reduced to q
minimum.
To the lovers of apple sauce l would
counsel the selection of the best sub
stitute in the way of canned fruit that
is possible, and begin early.