58 TRANSACTIONS OF THK ILLINOIS 



hung over the orchard like a cloud, and there was no frost to be seen 

 upon the ground under it. I think there were no buds killed in his 

 orchard that night, and he had almost a full crop of fruit. 



No doubt the fact that all our fruit was not destroyed by the extreme 

 cold of the night of the i6th, was due to the dryness of the atmosphere; 

 perhaps, also, the cool weather that had prevailed for several days had a 

 tendency to harden the germs and enable them to resist a greater degree 

 of cold than they would otherwise have done. 



I desire to mingle my sympathies with those of the Society on occa- 

 sion of the death of Starr and Dunlap, and especially of our distinguished 

 President, Dr. Hull. The loss to the horticulturists of Illinois, in the 

 death of Dr. Hull, seems almost irreparable. I hope that he may have 

 left, in a permanent form, the results of his long experience and intelli- 

 gent observation. He told me, several years ago, that he intended to 

 write and publish a book on practical horticulture, but I am not informed 

 as to whether he had ever carried out his design in whole or in part. 



Truly your friend, A. M. BROWN. 



Letters of invitation were read from G. B. Brackett, President of 

 Iowa State Horticultural Society ; F. W. Case, Secretary of the Wiscon- 

 sin State Society ; and W. H. Ragan, Secretary of the Indiana State 

 Society. 



DISCUSSION ON PRUNING. 



J. S. Johnson (of Hancock county) — If not too late I want to say, 

 in regard to orchard pruning, that we have several amateur orchardists in 

 our vicinity (Warsaw) having an experience of ten years only, and who 

 are still learning. They are looking to us for light and instruction. I 

 have one in mind, who has alternately practiced with high and low heads, 

 as the balance of testimony seemed to favor, and who is yet in doubt. 

 My own opinion is, that we usually prune entirely too much ; perhaps I 

 am not competent to give instruction in this matter, but this is the view 

 I take of it : We do not want trees to fork, we want upright stems, with 

 heads of medium height — say four feet from the ground. I think we cut 

 too much, gentlemen ; I have seen orchards ruined by being cut too 

 much. 



Mr. Wier (of Marshall county) — I do not care to say much upon 

 this subject, having said all I want to say on former occasions. I invite 

 gentlemen to come and see my orchard.* We are told to cut out the 

 inside of the tree. There, gentlemen, is your first mistake ; there is no 



* Mr. Wier's apple orchards, at Lacon, are among the most extensive in the State. 

 — Editor. 



