50 TEANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Mr. Augustine invited the Society to hold its next meeting in 

 Bloomington. Mr. Webster presented an invitation from Cairo, and 

 Mr. Dennis, from Hamilton. 



After a full discussion of the question a ballot was taken, which 

 resulted in favor of Hamilton. 



Mr. McPike — I think it a mistake to hold our meetings in 

 December. In October or November we would have better meetings, 

 better exhibitions, and make better reports. Our meetings and 

 reports are greatly in advance of many other states, but I think 

 both would be made better by holding the Annual Meeting at an 

 earlier date. 



Mr. Minkler — I move this question be referred to the Executive 

 Board. 



Mr. McPike — If the motion prevails, I hope the Board will 

 report to this meeting. 



Mr. Riehl — I think if the Board is to report to this meeting we 

 had better settle it now, as the ground will all be gone over again 

 and much time consumed. 



The motion to refer to the Executive Board was adopted. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON GRAPES. 



BY J. B. MILLER, ANNA. 



To the Members of the State Horticultural Society : 



As circumstances will not permit me to attend your annual 

 meeting, I deem it neccessary that i should send in some kind of a 

 report, as to what I am doing in the way of fruit growing down in 

 lower Egypt. 



This has been a season of full crops of all kinds of fruits here — 

 peaches, pears, apples, plums, cherries, and all tree fruits. But all 

 my finest peaches were ruined by the excessive rains in August, which 

 caused them to crack open and rot by the bushel, and the ravages of 

 the curculio were fearful. It was a hard matter to find a peach or 

 plum that was free from their wounds. Pears were more than full 

 crop, my Bartletts were as full as they could hang of nearly perfect 

 fruit. The price ruled low, fifty cents per one-third bushel box, yet 

 there is money in them even at that price, if we could keep the trees 

 from the blight. 



Grapes were only about a half crop — from the black rot. All 



