Washtenaw Pomology

The mnntlily meeting of the society was quite well attended In spite of the bad roads. Ilon. J. Austin Seott, who preslded in place of Mr. B;illvln who was detaini'dby tlcknew, called on Junius E. l!c:il. Esq., to aüdresB the society 011 the road questlon. Mr. Beal'fl excellent and comprehensivo discourae met willi the closest attention. The substance of lt will be fomid on the seeond page. Prof. Charles L. Greene, professor of Civil Engineering in llie State University indoraed all Mr. Beul liad said, adding inucli valuable matter sucli as only a professional man 'an otter. We hope to be al)Ie to give Green's views on thla subject next eek. Mr. .!. J Parshall nskeil the professor whetlior our rranite bouldera could be crnshed. The answer was in the affirraative, stating tlnit irranlte was u.-ed in other places, that it makcs the best roade, surpatslng the lime-gtone or any othér material. The followlng letter addreseed to the Oor. Sec. by Prof. J. 15. Uavis, civil engineer and our coiinty surveyor, who cciulil not be present on account of sickness, was read: "It will not take long in Bay all I know obout road making. It is of little consequenoe (at lirst) what a road is made of If t is kept dry. I have feen (air roads of swamp niuck. The rallronds undorsrand tiiis. Watch them. As trufflc becornea heavieror spectier, use (j ia vel (that is our ciw) then broken stone, tlien wplialt. Hut nevcr forgetto keep rond bed dry. Tndothutyou need an eiigiiierr or Kmo such perron, and it i.-jnsl. there uur .-clieincs will fail, for oouiitryiucn will not irrt pay (Men-) for that man, neithrr will ihey follow bis advici' fier thcy have paid liiin. TIn; real trouble is theie. The couuiry people will not empluy sueli services as they most need, pHy a fnir prioti for them, and foiluw the advice bonght. S mie man with some machine fir sale warranti-d, (this warrant, niind vou) to make, mend, lix, repair, plané, joint, tquaie, level. plumb, and jriade any kind of a road any where, under any condition whatevur, to the proper status of road recdtude; eiisily sells to a township, village or city about $75 or $100 worth of machineiy for, from $300 to $500, to be piesen tly added to the public scrap heap, skips out with his money, and that loeality can't be "worked" ajraln for about live years on this particular dodge. But there wnuld be a lovely time setting $300 or $000 out of a public body (especially in the country districts) for well considered flans from a competent person who couldn'c be sold, or bought, or hired to cheat, or drawn into any -'job." There are many ways of keeping a road bed dry. That is a professional matter aboul whlch iiumerous details would now be nsetow. 'n.;. u ui i „„„. Mlink j know about roads. " A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Beal and to Prof?. Green and Davis for their valuable Information. Also a letter to the Cor. Sec." by the Hon. W. L. Webber, of East Saginaw, was read. After describinp the costly plant for crusliing atone at the quarry a't Hay Port, the letter etated: "It is the practice in some states to use portable crashen and move hem about from place to place, gatherinj; the and bieakInng them near where they are to be used. The crushed stone used in Bay county for roads has givea greatsatisfactiou. The Bay county people pride themselves now upon beiiifj; able to travel with as heavy loads in muddy weather as they can any other time of the year. The act for stone roads in Saginaw county has been deolared unconstitutional. An other effort is being made to provide for stone roads here." The chairman addressed the society. His long experience In road work on the steep hills of New Enfrland and later in the Maumee valley In Ohio, and at Ann Arbor, on the roads surrounding [bis eletraut home on Washteuaw avenue, gave the remarks of Mr. Scott a peculiar wehjht and charm, and we hope tbat he will be kind enouh to let his remarks appear in print, as this road question bas to be kept before the people, in the city as well as in the country. If every Citizen were as entbuslastie, experienced and able as Mr. Scott, there would have been much more piety on our roads this winter. Mr. E. A. Nordman, who, in order to keep up bis religión, footed it to Aun Arbor from Lima to attend this very meeting, believes in gravel ns the best material for road niaking and condenins our present system ot changing of the overseers of the highways annually. Frequently the successor apoils the work of his predecessor. If there is no law to condemn gravel beds for the improvement of the roads, such a law sbould be made. Mr. J. ,1. Parshall stated the exUtance of such a law. More labor should be put on inaiu roads tban side ronds, etc. The following motion was carried unanimously: Wheueas:- The roads of Wiishtenaw county are and have always been in sucli a deplorable condition, throujíh a faultly systein of working and laaklng, and Whereas,'we believe mensures are absolutely necessary to be taken to remedy this ivil tliiough proper legislation, so tbat the state and county shall become inteiested in the improvemeot of our bighways; be it Resolved, that the Washtenaw Pomolojiical Society do earnestly ask the next legislature tomake such laws as will bring about a reform for the general good." At our next town meeting this road qiieítion should receive prompt and eareful attention. Ann Arbor City will hare a stout, yard about the county jail. The crushiug of stone bees will be in order by the boarders of the Sheriff, who himselfwill use a boss hammer to iuitiate hia dUclplefi. The chief of pólice, who in future will carry a hamuier witli his star, will cordially invite all trampa to this new departure, whicb, as a matter of course, will perfect the roads around the court house and the campus tirst, giving the city a gradual granite evolution, preparing for Ballamy's "Looking Backward." Mr. Luther Palmer, of Dexter, who has well supplied the society for a iiumber of years with all kinds of fruit packages, wantod to know whether the paper basket would supercide the wooden oue. He will make his wooden berry-bakft of heavler material for six dollars per M. or 5.7o per M. cash if any order of 75 M. would be given him soon. Messrs. John Altmand, O. C. Clark and otliers spoke strodgly iu favor of the wooden basket, tbat the paper bas,ket could be used in the home but not for the distant Market, because of its betng too deep the berrles would settle and tbat it could not be used by the pieker. The 32 quart crate was tbe most desirable. Mr. C. Parshall i-xhibited a 24 quart crate of very good construction and material for 25 cents. Charley also favors the wooden basket. The undersigncd exhibited the Kliodelslnnd and Jonathan npples ai)d the finest specimens of the D'Aremberg pear. The president spoke very higlily of tlie Jonathan uppie, wliicli, by this time, has lost lts accidity and is of the linest llavor.