Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-12
EACH is A CREDIT
the Commendable Work Per-
formed by Two Societies.
FARMER AND HORTICULTURAL
A Union Meeting Of me Two OIsanizA-
uons Reviews the Work Done
BY tas Societies.


irsnd River Valley Horticultural so
s.etY determined 10 hold = union
meeting September Is st the new
room IN the county building. A long
lrizzling ram prevented . large attend
snce aad the meeting vas adjourned
or oDe month
Yesterday a. $50 O'Clock President
J. NJ. Pearssil Of the Farmers club
allied the meeting TO order, tue min
ltss being read By Secretary A. w.
slayt0n also OF the Farmers club.
The attendance was not large but there
sas fine table OF grapes 10 oe IN
spected and sampled, having been
brought from the vineyard OF A. W.
slayton. There we're IN ali nine or ten
varieties and the fruit was must per-
Eecs and tempting.
Tae program intended for the former
meeting was gwen yesterday. Vice
President J. A. Pearce OF the HOrtl-
cultural society was down tor q paper.
The History OF the Grand River VAL
ley Horticultural society, Its Aims and
Purposes
Nr Peare.'s Ials.
Mr.. Pearce said that be had been too
busy to prepare a paper, but rather
han dlsappolns the program commit
tee, he would say few words on the
subject. He said: II cams to Grand
IA plds year ago and started out TO
identify myself with the Horticultural
bociety. which I then found IN little
room on Lyon street The meeting
was presided over by Charles w. Car
held. and as had pictured him TO my
self large. portiy, dsrk-complexloned
man. | was somewhat disappointed
when | saw him. Since knowing him,
however, | have found him TO be As
arge q man as | ever imagined him To
be. lie has done much IN the way or
improving the farm kitchen garden,
by advice and by arousing interest.
tie has labored long and earnestly for
knything that will benefit the home.
Over on the lake shore the farmers
kaid We discussed too wide q range of
subjects. so the horticultural society
Was formed 70 discuss peaches princI-
paily. IL Is directly owing 10 the Ia
bors Of the society that berries are
now brought into market IN neat
boxes instead of being handled over
knd over again until they are almost
worthless. Many of the best business
men of the city have been iden-
Ehed with the society from time
b time. They could not meet with
Us every time, but they desired to show
their interest IN our work. This soci-
ETY. has done much 10 encourage farm
erS many of whom are making q
speciality OF some particular kind of
fruit or vegetables. There Is another
thing that should be done, and that is
to work more persisteutly for the es-
tablisnment Of city market Efforts
should also be- put forth to secG:e a
better rate for peaches, which are now
shipped At . rate of one and one
third"
a City Market
Thomas l.. Brown said that one rea-
son perhaps why the city did not es-
tsolish . market was the general idea
that IL would entail large taxes on the
city. He did not believe the city should
pay the entire tar, but Was not quite
clear as TO how it should be done.
Certainly the farmers ought to pay
some proportion of 1t, since they would
be so greatly benefited.
l.. :. Llndsrman said the proper
place, IN bis opinion. for q market is
sns island. though perhaps Il 10 not
available now.
w. ". Cook advocated the market
bridge between Bridge and Pearl
streets. bat Mr.. Brown thought that #
the market business increased IN the
future "a IL has IN the past, tho bridge
scheme would not suffice. During the
past summer fully two miles of farm
ers teams were on the market. each
morning..
The next topic was, "Origin and
Growth OF the West Michigan Farm
srs' club, Its Object and It's Purposes,
by L. :. Lindsrman, but Mr.. Under
man said he was not identified with the
society in its early days. and he had no
data to be governed by. When he
joined the club IL was q large IpstItu-
tIon. He thought hs could give nothing
interesting IN On impromptu talk. He
understood the object of the club to be
the elevation OF agricultural work, the
improving of tue breed Of cattle, the
raising of better stock and the making
OF bstter roads. The question of fer
filtration had been thoroughly dis
cusssd. and the seed question mad been
overhsuled with beneficial results. The
use of a farmers club IL important to
all Whatever benefits the farmer
benefits the mechanic also. The farmer
who stays away from the club meet
ings IL working TO hisovn d:ssd vantage
and 10 the Disadvantage OF others also.
Gardening Uaaer Glass.
Gardening Under Glsss. Financial
Economical. Statistical" vas the sub
lsct OF a carefully prepared paper by
Thomas L. Brown.
OF the introduction of the world re-
nowned Grand Rapids forcing lettuce
Mr. Brown said Twenty years ago +.
Il. Rsnwlck and John futile we're the
only men engaged IN Horticulture "
Grand Rapids. But there hs'
been a great change since then
In 1876 a new variety OF lettuce nov
widely known, and cstsiCgued by a.
the leading seedsn1en IN The country Al
the tSrsnd Rapids. originated in the
market gardens OF Jonathan and IN.
gsne DAVIS. The variety vas 30 s'ipe
ror % Anything before grown by then
that they st once selected the fines
head for seed, and after q few wears o
careful. handling and improving & be
cave an estahl she'd variety Of gres
worth. Too mgch cannot se said Ia IL
ffyer. Ssedsmen try tn outdo esct
either n describing 20 merits. Shsrl
4 sous grew the first lettuce for on