I 



lis TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



" Pcais. — Not many are ])lanted yet. Our young Bartletts, four years old, com- 

 menced bearing, and are in a thrifty condition. All pear trees do not appear to have 

 suffered by the winter. 



" Grapes of most kinds set well, but the fruit rotted badly, Concord not excepted. 



" Small fruits of all kinds were a slim crop ; wet weather destroyed the vitality of 

 the bloom. 



" Evergreens. — Pines and spruces are all right. Golden Arbor Vitiu slightly 

 injured by frost. We had it heavily mulched or it would likely have been killed out- 

 right. It has made a fine growth this summer, and is now very beautiful. Boxwood 

 stood the winter \ve\\ on the north side of a fence. The warm spell of weather the last 

 part of March and first of April started it to growing, when the cold snap, from the six- 

 teenth to the tvveentieth of April, brought the temperature down to twenty-five degrees, 

 and killed three-fourths of it. Chinese Arbor Vita.-, where not mulched, was nearly 

 killed outright. Mahonia, standing in thick clusters and mulched, was but slightly 

 injured, the outside leaves browned, but it was badly killed out by the wet summer. 

 Yucca Fillamentosa and Flaccida stand the winter bravely. 



Mr. J. M. NiSLER, of Irving, Montgomery county, also reports a 

 gradual progress in horticulture in the county, although there has not been 

 as much planting done in 1875 ^^ i^ some former years. The peach crop 

 was almost a total failure, and other fruits generally produced only about 

 half a crop. The condition of orchards is pretty good, with an enormous 

 growth upon young orchard trees where cultivated. 



All the above respectfully submitted, 



W. C. FLAGG, 

 Committee for Sixth District. 



REPORT FROM THE SEVENTH HORTICULTURAL DISTRICT. 



Parker Earle, of Cobden, Union county, reported as follows : 



The year 1875 ^""^^ been one of disastrous failure with most of our 

 fruits, in the largest portion of the hill country of Egypt. The winter 

 of 1874-5 should be chronicled as the coldest and most protracted the 

 present generation has experienced. We suffered greater cold on two 

 previous occasions, the mercury having reached 18° below in 1864, and 

 14° below in 1873, while it reached but 12° below in 1875 J tiut this last 

 winter began earlier and lasted longer, and the persistent cold had 

 little intermission. The peach buds were very generally killed on the 

 ninth of January, yet a sufficient number escaped on vigorous trees to 

 have made a fair crop but for the terrible freeze of April 17. At this 

 time all of our bills were white and rosy with promise. A sufficient num- 

 ber of peaches have escaped to give us a prospect of a lively but profitable 

 fight with the Curculio ; while the Pear, Cherry and Plum orchards were 

 as white as snow-banks, and the Apples and Strawberries were coming out 

 rapidly, when one night, with ten degrees of frost, changed all this bright 

 picture into a blackened waste. Nearly every opened blossom (I know no 

 exception but the Buffam pear), of whatever kind, was killed, with a 

 large portion of the advanced buds. The young leaves of the finest trees 

 were killed, and the hope in our hearts of ever making fruit growing pa\ 

 the most skillAil and industrious a decent living was nearl)- killed also. It 



