Oceana County MI Archives History - Books .....Soil 1882
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Jan Cortez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00020.html#0004939 December 17, 2008, 6:13 pm

Book Title: HISTORY OF OCEANA CO., CHICAGO, H.R. PAGE & COMPANY, 1882

Any country producing the enormous growth of timber that composes the forest 
of this county, cannot be other than rich in all the elements of plant food - 
especially that portion that is covered with maple, elm, basswood and beech; 
and so prolific is this country in the growth of timber that, when the 
original forest is cut down, the second growth of timber will be so formidable 
that in ten years after it is harder to clear than it was to remove the 
original forest.

The surface of the country is covered to a great depth with a rather peculiar 
kind of earth, which is said by geologists to have been drifted here in what 
is called the Galacial or Drift period, in which innumerable rocks were broken 
up and wrenched from the shores of the Northern seas by the drifting glaciers, 
and by their action ground and pulverized into a heterogeneous moss of sand, 
boulders, and in some places clay.

During the last hundred years there has been wuite a diversity of opinion in 
the minds of scientific writers, in regard to the fertility of the soil on 
this lake shore.  But it has been demonstrated that there is nothing equal to 
experience.  In opposition to the opinion and prediction of some who were 
governed more by theory than practice, this country has gained a national 
reputation for her fine fruits and vegetables.

There is about one-half of this county that is comparitively barren.  There 
seems to be too great a predominance of sand, and not enough of loam and clay, 
and it will be some time yet before the means are found by which it can be 
utilized and made remunerative.  But we have unbounded faith in the ingenuity 
of the American people, and these barrens will be made fertile when we learn 
to utilize some kinds of forage plants that will root deeper than the common 
grasses, and this, coupled with an improved system of packing the soil, will 
transform these barrens into fertile fields.

This, perhaps, will be done when we learn to make use of the common broad-
leaved burdock, and the bull thistle, and perhaps the Canada thistle, and 
notwithstanding these plants have been under the ban for generations, yet they 
are rich in all the elements of food, and it only remains for us to devise the 
proper mode of utilizing them.  Their roots penetrate the earth to a depth 
that the common grasses will not reach, and in the Ioose, porous soils of 
those barrens, the plant food is carried too deep to be reached by the common 
grasses; hence the necessity of utilizing some other forage plants.  But it is 
well established fact that the more sandy soil is stirred, repeatedly exposing 
all parts of it to the action of the atmosphere and sun, the more fertile it 
becomes.

As it is now generally believed that the immense territory west and noth of 
Lake Michigan will, in all time to come, have to depend almost entirely on 
Western Michigan for her supply of the tender fruits, it becomes a matter of 
the greatest importance to the fruit growers of this and other counties, 
bordering on the east shore of Lake Michigan, to perfect a systematic plan of 
transportation and marketing fruits.  This can only be done when the 
Legislature of the several states, or the Congress of the United States, will 
pass suitable laws, regulating freight rates, with the necessary provisions 
for its enforcement.  At present, the greatest drawback to the fruit business 
is that the shippers are left almost entirely to the mercy of transportation 
companies, and the result is that the fruit grower has frequently but little 
profit.  The advantage of easy transportation, both by water and also by 
railroad, is every thing that could be desired by this country, save the 
uncertainty of freight rates, which in time, perhaps, will be so regulated as 
to do justice to both the shipper and the railroad companies.

The following will show something of the interest taken in the fruit business 
in 1881 adn 1882, showing the number of trees sold in the county by some of 
the leading fruit tree dealers in these two seasons:

L.G. Bragg, of Kalamazoo, apples, 6,335; peaches, 19,676; plums, 1,824; pears, 
812; cherries, 704; grapes and other small fruit, 6,254.  A. E. Souter, of 
Shelby, apples, 2,850; peaches, 17,000; plums, 425; pears, 640; cherries, 825; 
grapes and other small fruit, 875.  George D. Lawrence, Pentwater, apples, 
765; peaches, 10,625; plums, 180; pears, 80; cherries, 125; grapes and other 
small fruit, 310.

The following are a few of the leading orchards that are now coming into 
bearing:

Taylor Lee, of Blackberry Ridge, apples, 3,000; peaches, 15,000; plums, 
2,000.  Mr. Jay of Blackberry Ridge, apples, 1,000; peaches, 3,500; plums, 
1,200; J. H. Sammons, of Blackberry Ridge, apples, 400; peaches, 4,000; plums, 
700.

Of others having large orchards we may mention W. Swingle, Shelby, Section 9, 
with 500 peach and 600 apple trees; H. H. Pratt, of the same section, 600 
peach, 900 apple, 320 cherry trees; Mr. Gebhart, in Hart, Section 30, with 
5,000 peach trees planted, and who in 1882 sold 13,000 peach and 1,200 plum 
trees; also Mr. Wanmer, Section 30, Hart, with 800 peach and 1,200 plum trees; 
also Dr. Williams, of Hart, with 1,800 peach, and over 100 apple trees in his 
orchard.

Additional Comments:
HISTORY OF OCEANA CO., CHICAGO, H.R. PAGE & COMPANY, 1882


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/oceana/history/1882/historyo/soil107gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/

File size: 6.0 Kb