4 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



for US. Consequently almost level land, with comparatively flat cul- 

 ture seems best. 



The disk harrow, where crops are not raised, will be found ad- 

 mirably adapted to pulverizing the ground and keeping it in good 

 heart for the trees. 



The theory that has come up to us from the dim past, that if 

 man expects intellectual strength, long life and good health, closely 

 related relatives must not marry, seems to hold good in lower life. 

 The Wilson strawberry must fertilize the Crescent for best results; 

 and different kinds of plums promiscuously set it is thought give 

 better returns than where only one kind is grown. 



In 1861 we planted one thousand apple trees as follows: com- 

 mencing on the east side of forty acres, running clear across north 

 and south, first, 200 Little Romanites; second, 200 Wine Saps; third, 

 300 Janets; fourth, 100 Ortleys; fifth, 100 Kings: sixth, 100 Tall- 

 man Sweets. 



In 1863 we set 500 Ben Davis. Forty of the Little Romanites 

 had died, and a few of the others. A survey of the land showed 

 room enough for a row on the south end. After planting that row, 

 and filling in where the others had died, we set the balance, eight 

 rows deep, on the west side. Our experience has been that the end 

 row and those used to fill in bore more and finer fruit than the aver- 

 age in the solid block. 



We did not suspect the cause then, nor do we know it now as a 

 positive fact, but our belief is about as eight is to seven (which for 

 all practical purposes, on a certain noted occasion, was considered 

 very near a certainty) that crop fertilization did it. 



We have ten acres set entire with Ben Davis, eleven years old. 

 It never has borne a full crop of perfect apples. 



Henry Ray planted in 1865 six acres, about two-thirds Ben 

 Davis on the north, the balance on the south consisting of Wine 

 Saps, Janets, and Rhenish Mays. It produced several fine crops. In 

 1871 he set several acres adjoining on the east side, solid Ben Davis. 

 That orchard never has borne a satisfactory crop, and is now on the 

 decline. 



What avails thoughtful selection of site, and careful cultivation, 

 if our trees are rendered constitutionally weak and short-lived, not 

 by a survival of the fittest, but by a long line of selecting seed, for 

 raising stock to graft on from the poorest fruit, if seed for stock is 

 mainly procured from cider presses? May we not confidently look 

 in that direction for the cause of lost vitality? In my opinion J. 

 Gr. Vaughan, in his paper published on page 4, Vol. 20, of Horticul- 

 tural Report, struck the keynote in condemning the practice of pro- 

 curing seed from cider presses and vinegar factories. 



At the following meeting, held at Princeton in the fall of 1887, 

 Prof. T. J. Burrill, of Champaign, and C. N. Dennis, of Hamilton^ 



