42 TBANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



and June. On 3d of July we had rains, but none worth mentioning 

 again until August 5th, and but little then. No more rain fell until 

 November 8th and loth. This much for the season, hoping some 

 scientist will be so good as to tell us what planet, star or world has dis- 

 turbed the order of things so that neither dews nor rain have visited us 

 for twelve months. 



The unprecedented winter and summer killed many of our hardy 

 apple-trees; some died in spring, many m,ore in autumn, with fruit and 

 leaves all on ; more died in low grounds than on high lands, in the same 

 orchards. Maiden's Blush, Janet, Winesap and Willow Twig suffered 

 most. In some orchards as much as twenty per cent. died. Old peach- 

 trees were nearly all killed, and few young ones survived. The roots of 

 trees which were killed to the snow line have sent up new shoots which 

 have made good growths. 



One word about the cause of such destruction of our fruit-trees. 

 During winter the wheat and grass grew all the time. The heat must 

 have been near forty-five degrees, and in this condition the sap was 

 flowing in all the roots with rapidity, while above the snow line it was 

 frozen to such a degree that in many instances the bodies burst open, and 

 from others under the snow the bark was thrown off like bursting from 

 excessive sap. 



This excessive flow during winter in the roots has, in your humble 

 servant's opinion, been one of the causes of the death of so many of our 

 trees. 



Apples in Hancock county were not a general crop; though in a 

 small strip of country, say six miles north and south and ten miles east 

 and west, lying nearly east from V¥arsaw, they were better than usual. 

 One small orchard of four acres of Ben Davis, belonging to A. C. Ham- 

 mond, made 700 bushels to the acre, which sold at fifty-five cents per 

 bushel. This, without doubt, was the best in the district. The trees were 

 from fourteen to fifteen years old. The varieties that have been a success 

 this year are the following, named in order of bearing : Ben Davis, 

 Wythe, Jonathan, Red Canada, Winesap, Rambo, Stark, Hubbardson's 

 Nonsuch and Willow Twig. Of summer apples we had Early Harvest, 

 Red June, Red Astrachan. 



Orchards set in 1878 lost no trees; those set in 1879 ^o^t five per 

 cent., and the loss in old orchards will average eight per cent, in this 

 county. All apples have ripened very early. We commenced barreling 

 and shipping to Texas Sept. 12th, at fifty-five cents per bushel, and the 

 same apples are now worth ^i. 00 per bushel. We have no method of 

 utilizing our surplus fruit but making into cider and vinegar, and as 

 vinegar does not pay, all small and specked apples are made into cider. 

 I find E. McCune has made 410 barrels, A. C. Hammond 300, Ham- 

 mond & Co. 300, and there have been made for sale, say 100 more, 

 making in this small fruit-section spoken of 1,110 barrels, price six to 

 eight dollars per barrel. The manner of making is to grate the apples; 

 the capacity of the mills, 100 bushels in thirty to forty minutes, yielding 

 three to three-and-one-half gallons per bushel, though the amount this 



