STATE HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. I 3 



Varieties. — Of Apples the following are most esteemed : Red Astrachan, Duchess 

 of Oldenburg, Snow, Tolman Sweet, Wagoner (not hardy), Domine (has not done as 

 well latterly as formerly, rotted badly this year), Minkler, Rawles' Janet, Ben Davis 

 and Willow Twig. This has kept sound in the barrels until they were wanted for filling 

 the next year. It is not a choice eating apple, but is a good cooker. 



Flemish Beauty Pear does as well here as any. Bartlett is good while it lasts. 

 Winter "Nelis is the best late\)ear. I have several trees about as large as a broom- 

 handle, which bore from ten to sixty pears each. 



Early Richmond Cherries are so plenty as to supply the birds first and the people 

 after\vard. The old-fashioned Eastern cherry, known under different names, is grown 

 here; it is larger and not as sour as the Early Richmond (Early May), and is different 

 from the Morello. 



The Lombard Plum is as good as any. 



The Concord is the Grape for us. 



There is no good excuse for any land-owner to be without currants, strawberries 

 and raspberries, as they are so easily grown. 



We farmers do not go much into floriculture or gardening. The former is left to 

 the ladies, and the latter is sadly neglected. The best way for a farmer to grow 

 vegetables is to put every sort into long rows, three feet apart, and cultivate between 

 the rows with a horse, cleaning out in the rows by hand. Let him try this and he will 

 be surprised to see how quickly he can clean out his garden. 



Insects. — Potato-beetles have not been as plenty as in previous years. The only 

 cures for them are to pick off the old ones early, then sprinkle the vines with Paris 

 green and leave the lady-bugs to do the rest. The striped cucumber-beetle was plenty 

 upon the melon and cucumber vines, also a worm at the roots ; the new cabbage-worm 

 destroyed nearly all our cabbages. 



To keep the apple orchard free from codling-moths the best way is to fence it for 

 the pigs, and as soon as the wormy apples begin to drop turn in the pigs every day, 

 just long enough for them to eat up the fallen fruit. Although we are not favorably 

 located for raising fruits for market, yet there is no good reason why every farmer 

 should not produce enough for a full supply throughout the year; and no fact is better 

 established than this, that the consumption of plenty of ripe fruits the year round is 

 conducive to health and happiness. Besides, there is a peculiar pleasure in watching 

 the growth of the trees, from year to year, seeing the fruit develop, and gathering it 

 when ripe. One who has moved out on an open prairie, with nothing but the green 

 grass around him, and has seen his live fences, wind-breaks, fruit-trees and shrubbery 

 grow up, has something to attract him to his home and keep him away from saloons 

 and other places of idleness. 



REPORT OF KENDALL COUNTY— By J. S. Seeley. 



As I have been requested to report as to fruit crops, etc., for the present year, I 

 will attempt to give some of my experience and observations as to some of the sugges- 

 tions made in the card of inquiry. 



The cold of last winter was very severe on Grapes unprotected and shortened the 

 crop very materially. Kittatinny Blackberries killed to the ground, and Doolittle and 

 Philadelphia Raspberries were badly hurt and did not produce half a crop ; the Turner 

 was uninjured and bore a good crop. 



Not having noted the time of blooming of various fruits, am unable to give partic- 

 ulars, but the whole list was from seven to ten days later than usual. 



Strawberries and Turner Raspberries gave a fair crop ; Richmond Cherries about 

 one-half crop ; Apples a very light crop and very little bloom. The few that did grow 

 were mostly injured by the codling-moth. 



The present state of horticulture is not very promising in this vicinity. Our 

 proximity to Michigan is against us; for an enormous quantity of small-fruit ripening 

 there at the same time as ours is shipped here and sold at ruinously low prices — straw- 

 berries from five to six cents per quart and other fruits in proportion — so that, if we are 

 so fortunate as to raise a surplus, we have to sell it at very low prices. 



