46 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



and from which we are still suffering, so shortened the yield that our market was at no 

 time glutted and our producers realized from fifteen to twenty-five cents per quart for 

 their entire product. There was probably not a quart of home-grown blackberries 

 offered on our market. 



The Cherry crop, with the exception of the Morello, was an entire failure ; the 

 trees w-ere in good condition and showed about half an average crop of blossoms, but 

 the late frosts and the dear little birds made the story and the crop a short one. 



The early Apples were not very abundant, the Early Harvest producing more than 

 any other variety, while the Red Astrachan, of which there are a goodly number of 

 trees in this county, did not show a blossom. The yield of fall apples was much more 

 abundant, the market being supplied at very low rates. The amount of winter apples 

 produced far exceeded the expectation of any one, the poor or barren lands giving 

 decidedly the largest crop and the best specimens. However, where old orchards did 

 not do well young trees, under apparently similar circumstances, produced remarkably, 

 one young orchard of Ben Davis giving the largest yield ever known in this county. 

 The Winesap also gave a good yield in most orchards. Janets in young orchards 

 cropped well and gave good, large fruit in good condition. 



The crop of Pears was remarkably short ; trees passed the winter in good condition 

 and blossomed well, but late frosts harvested the crop while in bloom and saved the 

 grower a great amount of trouble and vexation. 



The Concord Grape is capable of producing more genuine surprises and more 

 grapes to the square inch, under unfavorable circumstances, than any other fruit cultivated 

 in this county. After battling with the severe cold of winter and the unprecedented 

 drouth of summer, and the army of hungry birds in autumn, the yield was so abundant 

 as to force their market value down to two and three cents per pound. 



Any man who would stand up and advocate the extension of vineyards under such 

 circumstances would probably be shot on the spot, if not otherwise injured. 



The result of my experience leads me to practice as little cultivation in the growing 

 of small-fruits (in our rich, black soil) after the first year as possible. The great trouble 

 in such soils is a tendency to run to wood, thereby becoming too tender to endure 

 our severe, changeable winters, and the canes of the raspberry and blackberry becoming 

 utterly unmanageable, while grapes encircle everything in their loving embrace and 

 reach out for other worlds to conquer. Looking at the cultivation of the apple and pear in 

 the matter of dollars and cents, I believe that a slow, steady growth after the time for 

 fruiting arrives will insure more and better fruit than the tender, rampant growth caused 

 by cultivation. 



In planting an apple-orchard for profit I should say, set close — sixteen or twenty 

 feet each way — head low, let them branch just at the ground if they show a desire to do 

 so ; being close together they will not spread all over the ground, but grow straight up 

 and leave plenty of room for wagons to pass between them. 



In regard to the cultivation of the pear I will only say that the more you cultivate 

 the fewer pears you will have. After all the discouraging attempts at pear-culture here 

 we are falling into the practice of stealing them from those who occasionally meet with 

 success. If people will plant pears I would recommend standard trees, or to set the 

 dwarfs so deep that they will root from the stock. 



The hill or drill system for strawberries, with clean cultivation and beds renewed 

 each alternate year, gives best satisfaction with us; many are yet grown solid or in mats, 

 but the fruit is inferior in quality and finds a poor market. 



Raspberries should be set three feet by six, with new canes stopped at about two feet 

 in height, and the second growth stopped again in July, and plantations renewed every 

 three or four years. 



Blackberries set three feet by eight, and new canes stopped at about four feet in 

 height, give best results. 



Our market for fruit is mostly local ; occasionally a glut induces the grower to 

 ship to distant points ; the ordinary twenty-four-box case, with every conceivable style of 

 box, according to the fancy of the grower, is used. 



Berries for the home market are picked as early in the morning as possible, while 

 those for shipping are picked mostly after four o'clock P. M., and shipped on the evening 



