46 TRANSACTIONS OF THE IM-TNOTS 



The winter of 1872-73, following 'a season of extreme drought, was 

 more disastrous to our orchards, than that of T855-56. A large per cent, 

 of our orchard trees were killed outright, and all so l)adly injured that 

 they were incapable of producing fruit the next season. The summer of 

 1874 was again very dry, succeeded by a winter equaling, and in some 

 localities exceeding those above mentioned. The result may be im- 

 agined ; the vitality of trees having been weakened by the cold of 1872-73, 

 and the drought of 1874, were in the worst ])ossible (ondition to withstand 

 the terrible cold of the succeeding winter. 



Probably, about ten per cent, of our apple antl pear trees, twenty- 

 five of cherry trees, ajid fifty of peach and plum trees, were killed ; and 

 the remaining apple and pear trees at least so l)adly injured that they can 

 never fully recover. And I make the assertion without fear of successful 

 contradiction, that Central Illinois will never have any sound, healthy 

 orchards, until they are grown from trees planted in the nursery since the 

 winter of 1872-73. 



Very few, besides the observing horticulturists, are aw^are of the real 

 condition of our orchards ; but a careful examination will, in nearly every 

 case, show that the heart of the tree is in a black, and decaying condition ; 

 and in many instances, the trunks are split from the forks to the ground. 

 These cracks will, during the summer, appear to heal up, but the frosts 

 and winds of the next winter will open them wider than before. This 

 process will go on for a year or two, the water, meanwhile, getting in and 

 rotting the tree ; when a heavy crop of fruit or a high wind will break it 

 down. 



Those trees that are discolored will fare but little better. In a year 

 or two the branches will begin to die, when they must be taken off, which 

 will form a passage for the water to the heart of the tree, which will, in 

 a few years, be found to be completely decayed ; and the tree will, of 

 course, go down before the storm. 



But, asks the faint-hearted orchardist, in view of the disasters of the 

 past few years, and the present condition of our orchards, and the proba- 

 bility that these arctic winters will soon be repeated, "What encourage- 

 ment have we to continue to plant?" We have, it is true, no fixed data 

 from which to calculate the recurrence of these disastrous winters, but 

 the probabilities are, that they will not again trouble us for fifteen or 

 twenty years ; and in that length of time we can grow, and reap a fair 

 profit from an orchard. 



But there are some valuable lessons that may be learned from the dis- 

 asters of the past. Perhaps the most imi)ortant one is to plant none but 

 well-tested, hardy varieties. The most fruitful cause of failure has been 

 the great number of unsuitable varieties with which our orchards have 

 been crowded; but the future planter for .commercial purposes will avoid 

 this mistake, and plant only those few kinds that have safely ])assed 

 through the recent terrible winters. 



It is now generally conceded by Central Illinois orchardists, that the 

 profitable life of our orchards will not often exceed twenty-five or thirty 

 years. Taking this in connection with another well-understood fiict, that 



