30 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



none are well enough tested to be recommended for extensive 

 planting. The York Imperial is a fine apple, much liked by 

 growers and dealers, but objection is made to its habit of 

 growth, which is very upright. 



The Mamoth Black twig and Arkansas Black are identical, and 

 the impression seems to prevail that it is not very desirable. 



The W. W. Pearmain does remarkably well in some localities, 

 and some growers are making it their main variety instead of 

 the Ben Davis. 



There were shown some apples from southern New Mexico, 

 grown on the high table-lands, that were fairer and freer from 

 insect marks than any I have ever seen before. In appearance 

 .and coloring they resembled wax specimens. 



The small fruit interest is much larger in southwest Missouri 

 than we have any idea of. The growers have just formed a 

 Shippers' Association, and claim to have 900 acres of strawber- 

 ries for next season's fruiting. As with us, the different 

 growers prefer different varieties. The Crescent, however, is in 

 the lead. Capt. Jack, Downing, Sucker State, Haverland, 

 Bubach and Warfield are favorites with many. The Jessie 

 seems to be very variable, praised by some and condemned by 

 others. 



Peaches are being largely planted, but as yet catching the 

 curculio has not entered into their calculation . When asked what 

 they proposed to do with the curculio, they said they proposed 

 to plant enough for the curculio and themselves, forgetting that 

 the curculio, like all other creatures, will increase in proportion 

 as its food is increased, and ere many years their peaches will 

 be as wormy as any, unless they start to war on this pest of 

 stone fruits. They head their trees low, two or three feet from 

 the ground, and on these cannot well use a catcher. Perhaps 

 by the time they find out that they must do something against 

 the curculio, they may have found a way to successfully poison 

 him without injury to the' trees. Their country and orchards 

 are new and their fruits comparatively free from insect depre- 

 dations, but they have the insects with them, as I know, and it 

 is only a question of time when they will have as many insects 

 as we and must fight the insects to have good fruit. But they 

 have a good fruit country, a mild climate, and cheap lands, 

 where a man can make a home with small means. 



Their Society is well managed by the officers, who are all 

 peculiarly well qualified for their various offices and work 

 together harmoniously. The members have the good sense to 

 •annually re-elect thern to the offices they fill so well. 



Mr. Riehl — I questioned some of the members present at their 

 meeting regarding the curculio and their method of treating that 



