KM TRANSACTIONS OF THK ILLINOIS 



H. K. VicKROY, from the committee, presented the following, which 

 was read by the Secretary : 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the State Horticultural Society : 



Another season has passed, with its many changes, and left its lessons 

 to be considered. One thing is certain, market gardeners have not real- 

 ized a fortune ; vegetables have been very plentiful and prices very low 

 nearly all over the country. Never have I known prices to be so low. 

 I have noticed when vegetables are cheap they sell very slowly. When 

 cabbage will bring seventy-five cents to one dollar per dozen, and other 

 vegetables at corresponding prices, they sell rapidly ; when they get 

 much below that price, the wealthy people who buy most consider them 

 poor food. 



The outlook for the commercial gardener at present is not very 

 encouraging, especially at the West. Eastern gardeners have more to 

 encourage them, particularly next season, on account of the Centennial. 



I think the greatest lesson gardeners have learned this year is to 

 grow less and have it of a better quality. No man can expect to succeed 

 in growing vegetables unless he has a love for the business and a love for 

 hard work, rain or shine, low prices or high, good crops or poor. I say 

 "stick to your bush," and you can at least make a living at it. Last 

 year we prayed for rain, this year for dry weather. 



Every gardener should put his ground into such a condition that he 

 can grow a good crop, wet or dry. I believe I prefer the dry. In a wet 

 season, I think underdraining is a great advantage, but in a dry season I 

 am not prepared to say it is of any advantage — I rather think a detri- 

 ment on our soil, at least. In a dry season the ground should be thor- 

 oughly pulverized, kept as fine as dust — the finer the better, and kept 

 stirred every few days ; and especially after every rain, never allowing 

 the soil to form a crust. In a dry season, I think mulching with rotten 

 straw or manure would be good ; at least I am going to give it a fair trial 

 the first dry season. Earliness is the great desideratum ; the early bird in 

 this case gets the worm, sure. No sluggards here, if you want to get the 

 needful. The teachings of our lamented President, how to accomplish 

 this end, are too fresh in our minds to need repetition. Read the back 

 volumes of our Society's Transactions. 



The Colorado potato beetle has been very voracious in this vicinity 

 the past season. When they finished the potatoes they "went for" the 

 tomatoes, eating the vines and fruit. Egg plants seem to be their chosen 

 food ; but Paris green will lay them low if properly applied, and the best 

 way I have tried is putting a table-spoonful"' into about ten or twelve quarts 

 of water, in a garden watering pot having a small nose the size of the 

 end of the spout with very fine holes. This is the only insect that has 

 given us much trouble the past season. Of the large green caterpillars that 



A tea-spoonful, well heaped, is plenty for twelve quarts of water. — Editor. 



