STATE HOETICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 51 



kinds rotted badly owing to the heavy rains in June. Perkins the 

 least, Moores, Pocklington, Jefferson, Duchesse, Prentiss, Martha, 

 Vergennes and Delaware nearly all rotted. I have a new seedling 

 from the Perkins that has never shown a single rotted berry as yet, 

 fruited now for three seasons in succession, a golden grape same as 

 the Pocklington, sweeter than the Martha and as large as the Per- 

 kins, being healthy and vigorous. Have others from the same source 

 but not so promising as this. I believe this golden grape to be the 

 coming grape for localities where grapes rot bad. My new apples 

 I have decided are no improvement over the old Winesaps, if as good. 

 But am saving seed to try again. 



I am experimenting with all kinds of fruits from the seed. But 

 shall devote a good deal of my time hereafter to seedling pears. I 

 think there is a large field open to improvement here. If I can raise 

 from the seed of the Bartlett pear one that is as good, and free from 

 blight, then I will have it, for this is what we need and must have. 

 1 have several seedlings coming on now that will fruit in a few years. 

 But I know that this is* a herculean task, but think I am equal to it. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON GRAPES. 

 BY GEO. B. WORTHEN, WARSAW^ 



Gentlemen of the Illinois State Hor'ticultural Society : 



I had thought of having the pleasure of meeting with you this 

 winter, but find, at the last moment, it will not be convenient. 



I have but little to report on grapes, and that little not very 

 encouraging. In this locality, the crop in all the large vineyards 

 has been a failure on account of the rot. There was never a finer 

 prospect for a crop than last spring, but by the first of July nearly 

 everything that was not rot proof was gone. 



The largest vineyard in the county is owned by Broult Bros., of 

 Warsaw, who have thirty acres of Concords. Their crop was one- 

 half barrel of wine. I have ten acres of Concords and did not pick 

 any of them. There are a few Catawba vines in the county, but 

 they rotted as badly as the Concords. As a general thing the grapes 

 in the city lots where there were but a few vines, and those not cul- 

 tivated, did not rot. 



Of the older, the Virginia Seedling and Hermann are the most 

 reliable, but they must be protected in winter. I protect by pruning 

 in the fall and laying the canes on the ground, and putting enough 

 earth on them to hold them down. 



Of the newer varieties I have fruited, the Etta is the most 

 promising. It has not the fault of its parent, the Elvira, of bursting 

 when it ripens. I set out three vines in 1886 and this season picked 

 sixty-six pounds from them. The largest bunches weighing seven 

 ounces, and every berry perfect. 



