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ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



bore a fair crop — some of them a heavy crop of beautiful, symmetrical 

 golden apples, the best in quality for dessert of any sort in cultivation, 

 not excepting Roman Stem or Pomme Grise. The fruit is of good, 

 medium size, similar in form to Jonathan, though a little larger and a 

 little broader towards the calyx. It is among apples what the Seckel is 

 among pears as to quality. 



Mr. Woodard. — It don't bear well with me, though the trees do 

 very well. 



Mr. Minkler. — Grimes' Golden may have the same fault as the 

 Jonathan, and I fear it has — that of dropping from the tree too much before 

 time for gathering. 



Judge Wilcox. — I am of Yankee origin and " want to know " some- 

 thing more about orcharding ; I want to know if it can be made to pay 

 in this vicinity ; I have a number of orchards near Elgin, and they do 

 not pay, though I think they have had a fair chance. The trees occupy 

 the ground, spreading from tree to tree, so that nothing else of value can 

 be grown among them, and, as they do not bear fruit, are cumberers of 

 the ground. If I cannot get fruit from them I intend to cut them down. 

 One orchard, planted thirty to thirty-five years ago, which is infested 

 with insects (canker-worms — Ed.) which destroy all the foliage, while 

 others are infested in tree and fruit with other insects which either 

 destroy the fruit or weaken the tree. I know of no variety which is 

 profitable. One orchard bore pretty well for two or three years, but for 

 the last five or six years has borne very little, while another of same age 

 near by it has been almost entirely barren. 



Mr. Minkler. — Probably the Judge's trees are Eastern sorts. I once 

 had the Newtown-Pippin fever, and planted a good many of the trees, 

 but would never plant another on any account. 



Mr. Whitney. — Orchards should be treated according to the soil in 

 which they stand, and varieties selected which are adapted to the soil — 

 there are no rules which will apply everywhere. 



Mayor Lord. — I would like to know what varieties of apples to plant 

 on sandy soil, also on clay soil. 



Prof. Thomas. — Will \\. pay to raise apples in Northern Illinois? 

 Can any one answer this in the affirmative from experience ? 



Mr. Whitney. — Yes, sir, it will'^2Ly. 



Judge Wilcox. — My soil is a deep, prairie loam with clay sub-soil 

 underlaid with a stratum of sand. It is my opinion that three-fourths the 

 orchards around Elgin are nuisances ; even Mr. Scofield, who is preaching 

 orchard culture here, has an orchard near one of mine which is no better 



