272 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



manuring and good, though shallow, cultivation, and advised him to do 

 as that good horticulturist asked permission to do, about whom we read 

 in the good book — not cut it down, but "dig about it," etc. 



Mr. Woodard. — I had some experience in planting an orchard at 

 Bensonville, between Elgin and Chicago, planted in a clay loam. The 

 best varieties were Sops of Wine, Golden Russet and Duchess. Three 

 hundred trees of Duchess produced two hundred barrels, which sold for 

 five hundred dollars. Russet, Ben Davis and Willow are all profitable 

 sorts to plant here for winter ; also Tetofsky for summer. Red Astrachan 

 does well on good clay soil, but not on sandy soil. I would dig out all 

 the old barren trees which came from the East, and plant new orchards ; 

 the five or six sorts I have named will prove profitable here. 



Mr. Galusha. — I agree with Mr. Scofield as to the value of culti- 

 vation and feeding of orchards. These old, barren trees are almost 

 always infested with bark-lice, borers and other insects, much of whose 

 work seems to be due to the previous feeble condition of the trees ; for I 

 think, as a rule, that the bark-lice seldom seriously damage trees which 

 are kept in good condition. 



Prof. Thomas. — Mr. Galusha is right in this respect. It is of the 

 greatest importance in preventing the sad consequences of insect depre- 

 dations that the trees be kept in a state of vigor by good culture. 



L. K. Scofield. — Duchess and Ben Davis succeed well here and will 

 sell (though Ben Davis is but little better than a pumpkin). Judge 

 Wilcox may also plant Willow Twig with an assurance that it will prove 

 profitable ; but if, as I suspect, his trees came from the East, I would 

 advise him to dig them out and plant varieties adapted to this section of 

 country and give them good care. 



Mr. Slade. — Many of us want something new and some of us have 

 been badly bitten by investing in new varieties. While we have old, 

 well-tried sorts which pay we should stick to them. The Ben Davis has 

 been spoken rather sneeringly of, as being of poor quality, but I call it a 

 pretty good apple ; it is a fair apple to eat and a good cooking apple — 

 better than Willow Twig, which has received so much praise. In answer 

 to a question, he said that Willow was very profitable because it keeps so 

 late and retains its freshness to the last. He spoke of a Mr. Snow, near 

 Elgin, who had the Willow Twig growing and who said that if he were 

 planting an orchard of one thousand trees for profit he would plant nine 

 hundred of them Willow Twigs. On being asked what he would plant 

 for the other hundred, he said, " Well — well, I think I couldn't do better 

 than to plant Willow Twig." 



