SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 121 



Having visited nearly four hundred orchards in Champaign and 

 surrounding counties, I find the healthiest trees are those trimmed 

 with low heads — low enough to shade the body of the tree in the 

 winter, — and those grown on high ground and side hills. I know 

 of Maiden's Blush and some other sorts, grown on a hillside, which 

 have been standing thirty-five years and are still sound and robust. 

 Of the sorts mentioned, the Willow Twig is the hardiest and most 

 abundant bearer, the apple is a good keeper, sells well, and in Feb- 

 ruary and March is not bad to take. The Ben Davis is a short-lived 

 tree as you well know, and the apple is second-class in Cjuality, but 

 first-class to yield and sell. I have ten trees planted eight years ago 

 as grafts, which are in fair condition as to soundness, and will, [ 

 think, make three bushels of apples to the tree this seaso!i. The 

 Minkler is a sturdy tree, an even bearer of a rich apple and will 

 thrive on low land. Sops of Wine, in summer apples, is also an 

 exceedingly hardy tree. The Maiden's Blush, where grown on high 

 ground, is a long-lived tree and a great bearer of a good marketable 

 apple. My experience with pear trees has been to set them out and 

 have them blight and die. Flemish Beauty and Clapp's Favorite 

 are the only sorts I have had in bearing and they are now dead. I 

 have twenty-five Kieffer's Hybrid grafted on their own roots that 

 promise fairly, but I have no great expectations. I have tried a 

 great many plums and have found nothing but the Miner, on its 

 own roots, that has ever borne fruit in any quantity. 



Early Richmond, Euglish Morello and a cherry I call the Late 

 Dutch are the only sorts I have ever found to succeed. There is 

 some profit in growing the Early Richmond. The English Morello 

 is about ten days later, a good-sized, dark cherry, sour enough to 

 make one cross-eyed, but are excellent for pies, or to can, as the 

 juice is very rich. The Late Dutch cherry is a medium-sized, sour 

 cherry, light in color, and the tree reproduces itself from the roots. 

 The tree is hardy, a prolific bearer, about one week later than the 

 Early Richmond, and therefore profitable to sell to those parties who 

 waited for the price of early cherries to go down and got left, and 

 are ready to buy at any price. 



I have succeeded reasonably well in growing quinces for home 

 use. I have the Orange Quince grown from cuttings, with the soil 

 around them covered to the depth of six inches with slacked lime, wood 

 ashes and salt. This year they are loaded with fruit. The best 

 grapes, in my opinion, for market, are Concord, Worden, Moore's 

 Early and Pocklington. They are good enough, too, for home 

 use; not but that there are many other good sorts, but these seem 

 to do the best with the least attention. The Worden grape with me is 

 taking the lead. I have never seen any signs of mildew on the vines 

 or fruit in four years' culture. Moore's Early is the most profitable, 

 because it ripens very early, and, and of course, sells for a higher 



