STATE iroRTirri/rrRAT. soptety. 109 



Grapes are only raised for wine and home use. Of strawberries the 

 acreage is largely increased, and the plants promise well, though culture 

 has cost double the usual amount. 



Blackberry and raspberry plantations are receiving some attention, 

 several small plats having been planted with the Turner last spring. 



1 have found, in cultivating blackberries, or in digging the plants, 

 that wherever I have disturbed the roots there the orange rust has appeared, 

 and in no other place. Is not the plan of planting upon good land, and 

 giving no culture after the first year, the best one to adopt ? 



From June lotli to August 5th it rained almost incessantly, and 

 every thing planted uj^on flat land suffered in consequence ; but from 

 August to November no rain fell to lay the dust. Thus have extremes 

 followed each other. Respectfully submitted, 



G. L. BRUNTON. 



Following this, the Secretary read a report from Hon. W. C. 

 Flago, Committee in the Sixth Horticultural District, as follows : 



REPORT FROM THE .SIXTH HORTICULTURAI. J)ISTRICT. 



MoRO, Madison Coitntv, Ii.t,., December i, 1.S75. 



O. B. Galusha, Secretary, etc., 



Dear Sir : As I shall not be at Quincy, owing to other engage- 

 ments, I forward to you a brief report concerning our district for the 

 year 1875, prefaced by a few statistics that may be of interest, at least to 

 those immediately concerned. 



The year was remarkable for its wetness during the growing season. 

 There have been no such rains for some six years. The low and flat 

 lands were rendered unsuitable for crops or trees, while the high and dry 

 lands came out with extraordinary crops of corn and a strong growth of 

 fruit trees. The latter part of the season was dry, even', to excess, in the 

 southern parts of the district, and the ripening of late fruits was affected 

 thereby. ^ 



The evil influences of the dry, hot and cold seasons from 1870 to 

 1874 still show themselves in the decrepitude of old and even of some 

 young orchards, and, I am inclined to think, to some extent in the short 

 crop of fruit tiiis year. Inquiries I have made of persons from different 

 parts of the State lead me to believe that the damage to orchards in the 

 northern, central, and, to some extent, in the southern part of the State, 

 is so great that the safest plan is to plant young orchards of healthy trees, 

 and not trust to the possibility that the old will revive. 



The Sixth Horticultural District comprises the following counties, 

 whose area and acres in orchard are given from the assessment of 1874 : 



