216 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AI -TON- SOUTHERN 



Mr. Hilliard — My apple trees are all full, and am thinning 

 them. 



Mr. Browne — My peach trees are not all full. Stump and 

 Oldmixon, especially, are very thin. 



VINEYARDS. 



Mr. Browne-— Now is just the time to put on bags; it should be 

 done immediately. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SMALL FRUITS. 



BY E. A. RIEHL, ALTON. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen: I have been too busy to make 

 ■any observations except on my own grounds. Of strawberries 

 the crop is poor, most of the later part of the crop being buttons, 

 the cause who can tell? May be that it is owing to unfavorable 

 weather at the time of blooming. When the first blossoms came 

 out the weather was warm, later the weather was cool and un- 

 seasonable. The first berries were the only perfect ones we got. 

 All varieties were alike. My son had a small patch in a sheltered 

 nook on the face of the bluff facing south and there was the best 

 crop on the place. Of the newer ones, Bubach and Haverland, 

 seem to be valuable. Hart's Minnesota is a large, productive 

 berry of good quality, rather soft, but would be good for a local 

 market. Jessie, Belmont, Ontario and Monmouih are not pro- 

 ductive enough. 



I would advise all our growers to cultivate their berries well 

 and put down all the early runners, for we may have a dry 

 summer and fall, and if so it will be the early made runners that 

 will fruit next year. 



Raspberries look well and the crop promises to be good. 



Of blackberries the crop promises better than for several years. 

 There is also more rusts among the plants than I have seen for 

 years, which should all be cut out as soon as discovered. We 

 need better varieties of the blackberry, we have none that are en- 

 tirely satisfactory. The Kittatinny is tender and too subject to 

 rust. The Lawton is rather too tender and too apt to turn red 

 after picking. The Snyder is all right except that it is too small. 

 A really good blackberry that is hardy, healthy and productive is 

 ■wanted and if early so much the better. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Browne — I do not think that the strawberries were injured 

 by frost or dry. weather. I think the thrips are to blame for the 

 .trouble. They are very thick this year. Prof. Forbes, of Cham- 



