12 TUAlfSACTrONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



and from same shipment, Crescents brought one dollar and seventy cents per half-bushel 

 crate. I grow strawberries to sell fruit, not plants, and shall still plant Crescents. 

 One peculiarity about this variety is that it blooms five to eight days later and ripens its 

 fruit four to seven days earlier than Wilson. Crescent is almost thoroughly pistillate ; 

 and I think it has been condemned by many because they did not plant perfect varieties 

 near it. I like the appearance of Capt. Jack, but fear the petiole of leaf is too short to 

 protect the immense trusses of fruit which this variety produces. I would advise any 

 one desiring to learn regarding the honest merits of berries of various kinds, both old 

 and new, to get the recently published catalogue of small-fruits sent out by our respected 

 Secretary, O. B. Galusha, as, in the main, my experience and observation coincide with 

 the results given therein. 



J'egetables were a fair crop of good quality, except potatoes, which in the central 

 and southern part of the county were quite a failure, but in the northern part of the 

 county they were very fine. Cabbage was badly infested with the larvre of the imported 

 cabbage-butterfly [Pieris rapes). 



REPORT OF DeKALB COUNTY— By C. Bailey. 



Owing to my limited travel through the county I can only report for my immediate 

 vicinity. The cold weather of last winter probably killed some of the fruit-buds. The 

 light crop of apples is partly due to this cause and partly to the large crop of the 

 previous year, and to scorching sun and severe winds and storms during the critical 

 time of flowering. 



There has been more pear-blight here than usual this year, but the cause is not 

 known. 



The extreme warm weather just as apples were ripening caused fall apples to rot 

 and caused winter apples to prematurely ripen, so that at this date (Nov. 27) they are 

 soft. Apples were a light crop ; pear-trees bore well but blighted considerably ; cherries 

 and all small-fruits were in profusion ; we have but few plum and peach-trees which 

 gave very little fruit. 



Cultivation. — It is now the general opinion that the kind of treatment of trees 

 which will give a moderate growth of new wood each year is best for the health and 

 productiveness of the trees; and each one must judge for himself as to the condition 

 and needs of his trees. Too much wood-growth is not favorable to the formation of 

 fruit-buds, and also renders trees more liable to be damaged by the cold ; and a stunted 

 growth produces inferior fruit. Yet no rigid rule can be adopted in orchard culture, 

 for some kinds will thrive and do well in a sod, while others, like the Wagoner, would 

 die in such a situation. 



Pear-trees I would cultivate while small, and then let blue-grass take possession of 

 the ground, as I think the blight is akin to rust and blight in small grain, caused by 

 extreme heat and wet combined, which forces an unusual flow of sap, more than can 

 properly be elaborated into leaves, fruit and wood, and so it culminates in blight. 



Gathering and Keeping Fruit. — It is now well understood that all fruit to keep 

 well fresh must not be bruised in picking and handling. Apples should be carefully 

 hand-picked and put at once into barrels or boxes. Farmers here sell by the barrel or 

 bushel in the little towns around us. Winter apples should be kept as near the freezing 

 point as possible, for if allowed to get much warmer for any length of time they will get 

 ripe and become insipid in taste. 



Soils and Exposure. — The soil for an orchard should be dry, of course ; our prairie 

 soils develop too much wood-growth, hence those orchards on the edges of groves give 

 most fruit. Orchards upon the prairies should be protected by belts of timber, else 

 your fruit will be blown off in some high wind before it gets ripe. 



The raising of small-fruits for market is attempted by but few, for as soon as our 

 fruits are ripe we are confronted in Chicago by the Michigan growers — and their name 

 is Legion — whose lighter soils are adapted to fruit-growing. They have cheap trans- 

 portation, while ours is quite the reverse, so that they can undersell us in the market. 



Late-keeping apples are the only fruit which can be profitably raised here fo 

 shipment. 



