342 



ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



BERRIES AND SMALL-FRUITS. 



C. N. Dennis made the following report : 



Strawberries made a very poor crop. Early planted vines made a good stand and 

 fair growth. Late planting very poor so far. 



Raspberries, poor crop, but plants made good growth and promise well. 



Blackberries, no crop and poor growth. 



This year's planting has made a very poor growth, but older stock is in a very 

 healthy condition. No new varieties except Crescent Seedling strawberries, and per- 

 haps Red Jacket, which needs further test. Sharpless and Miner's Great Prolific are 

 highly recommended for size and sale, but I have not felt justified in testing at the high 

 prit es asked for plants. Sweet Home raspberries I think to be the same as the Miami, 

 or so near like it that it would puzzle Bee-men to tell the difference. The Gregg as a 

 black-cap is in my opinion the only rival (if any) which the Miami has. 



An old (new kind of) apple in this vicinity is the Sops of Wine. It is proving as 

 a summer apple what the Ben Davis is for winter — A No. i in bearing and for ship- 

 ping. 



SEPTEMBER MEETING. 



A more gratifying meeting was never held by this Society than the 

 one held at the residence of A. C. Hammond, of Wilcox, on Wednesday, 

 September 17th, 1879. The occasion will long be remembered by the 

 fortunate ones present (of whom there was a goodly number) as a live 

 horticultural meeting. 



Our host had made ample preparations for the occasion. A large open 

 canvas was stretched beneath the inviting shade of a grove of well-cared- 

 for fruit-trees, under which a full supply of seats and tables were arranged, 

 and when your correspondent took his seat at the desk, with that long 

 table of fine specimens of fruits on the one hand, that magnificent array 

 of bouquets and cut flowers on the other; whole families of interested 

 farmers and fruit growers before him; while just a few steps away the 

 apple-picking and barreling was going on from those fine heaps of highly 

 colored fruit, containing many hundreds of bushels, and the cider-making 

 just in the background, our gratification was complete. It looked as 

 though almost every member had done his, or her, whole duty by con- 

 tributing something for the interest of the occasion. John S. Johnson, 

 Esq., of Wythe, occupied the president's chair during the meeting with 

 becoming dignity. Social greetings and short talks of the late excursion 

 to the capital whiled away the morning hours until twelve o'clock, at 

 which time members and friends partook of a superb and bountiful 

 basket dinner. 



AFTERNOON. 



The Society listened attentively to an interesting essay by Mr. J. T. 

 Saff'ord, of Oakwood. Subject: "Our young folks, their education and 

 training." It was recommended for publication. 



Committee on entomology called up the bug question. 



