28 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



To be a success it must be made in large quantities, by the man of expe- 

 rience, who knows how to make and handle it, and can afford to look up 

 a market. 



I have in this paper spoken of orcharding only from a commercial 

 standpoint, not because I consider the family orchard of less importance, 

 but space will not permit of any discussion of this point. 



Mr. Robison. — Mr. President, I have prepared no paper upon 

 orchard culture, for I presumed the other members of the committee, 

 experienced orchardists, would exhaust the subject. 



Mr. Pearson. — Mr. President, Mr, Robison has made my speech 

 (laughter); but as he has no report, nor I either, perhaps it is best that I 

 should say a few words upon the subject. 



I wish to urge upon the members of the Society, that they do not 

 allow themselves to go into the cultivation of too many varieties. If I 

 had planted but three or four kinds they would have paid four times as 

 much profit as corn, I think our list as already published wholly suffi- 

 cient ; and I wish further to say, that I agree with Mr. Hammond that 

 the growing of apples for commercial purposes must largely pass into the 

 hands of commercial orchardists. 



I don't know that the apple "boom" has struck us in Madison 

 county very bad, but am satisfied that apples pay better than any other 

 crop in our locality. 



In my orchard, planted about fifteen years ago, Smith's Cider, Ben 

 Davis and Benoni have paid for the land on which they stand three or 

 four times over, and the trees are good for fifteen years yet. We think 

 if we can get a dollar a barrel we are getting a good price and are doing 

 a profitable business. There is no orchardist in our section but has made 

 money in raising apples, and any man that can't make money at it had 

 better quit and go to speculating (laughter). Fall fruit don't pay — we 

 have no market. In my orchard I seed to clover, and as the clover in 

 time kills out or is run out by the blue-grass I plow or harrow and sow to 

 clover again. 



On the first of November the fruit-buds looked splendidly and a finer 

 prospect never existed for a big crop of fruit of all kinds on the trees; 

 but now they are swollen badly, except Rawles' Janet, and I fear for 

 them, especially for the peaches, the buds of which on many of the trees 

 show the red ; and if we should have a winter which is at all severe we 

 shall lose most of our fruit. 



Mr. Minier. — You have what is termed the Loess soil, I believe. 



Mr, Pearson, — Mine is a white-oak and hickory soil. 



