36 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



any nurseryman is a dolt who would not fill such orders with nice plants 

 and give liberal count. The women do all the gathering of the small- 

 fruits upon the farm and much of the cultivating -too; possibly the 

 American women may yet become as healthy as the famous German 

 women, of whom the Doctor is so proud. 



Mr. Spalding. — We cannot do enough towards inducing farmers to 

 raise fruit; it is all folly to say we cannot raise all the fruit we can con- 

 sume in the State. Springfield receives apples from Ohio, Michigan and 

 New York by the car-load ; Chicago is full of Eastern apples. Shall we 

 continue to let these States supply these fruits which we can as well grow 

 ourselves? Farmers can grow them. Ask farmers what they will take for 

 their apple orchards ! Nine out of ten will tell you, " I will not sell at any 

 price," which would show their opinion as to its profitableness. Fruit- 

 growing is profitable for the farmers if they will take proper care of their 

 orchards. 



Mr. Murtfeldt. — I think Mr. Earle did not intend to discourage 

 farm orcharding, but only meant that those who entered the business of 

 commercial orcharding should attend to that and nothing else. 



Our climatic conditions prevent us raising apples of superior excel- 

 lence profitably; other States have a better climate for this purpose than 

 we, and that is why they have better fruit, and having better fruit, of 

 course we buy it. We must labor to the end that we may raise as good 

 fruit as others, and that end can be best reached by raising seedlings that 

 will be adapted to our peculiar climate, as this Society is now doing. 



Mr. Wier. — I am of the opinion that apple-orcharding for commer- 

 cial purposes should be a business of itself, and the same may be said 

 also of the small-fruits. 



Mr. Robison. — The farmer must raise enough fruit on his land for 

 his own use, adapting the quantity to his own needs. By the proper 

 laying-out of his fruit-plot so as to use the plow and cultivator mostly, 

 he can with little labor have a great variety of fruit on a small amount 

 of ground. I would plant evergreen trees around the house and where- 

 ever wanted in groves, but would not stretch them in lines around the 

 whole farm ; it makes the landscape too monotonous, and besides, they 

 occupy more room planted in this way. 



The Secretary. — Mr. President, I rise to make an announcement, 

 as I see some are leaving the hall. Prof. David Swing will lecture in the 

 Assemby Hall, opposite, this evening, for the benefit of the two literary 

 societies who have so kindly donated to us the use of these two beautiful 



