120 TRANSACTIONS OF TIIK ILLINOIS 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON .BERRY CULTURE. 



H. J. DuNLAP, of Champaign, member of the Committee on Berry 

 Culture, was not present, but had forwarded the following, which was read 

 by the Secretary : 



I am unable to present any thing new upon the subject of Berry Cul- 

 ture. The past season has been very poor for that, as well as all other 

 classes of fruits, which have been almost a total failure in this county. 

 The Wilson's Albany still heads the list of strawberries here : the Chas. 

 Downing, which is a favorite with some, is not yet in bearing in this 

 locality, but, judging from the fruit of that variety sent to this city for 

 sale the past season, it will be no great acquisition. 



As usual, my Doolittle raspberries came through the winter safely, and 

 yielded a very fair crop, while the Turner and Miami, or Mammoth 

 Custer, as some prefer to call it,* growing upon the same soil, and imme- 

 diately adjacent to the Doolittles, were badly winter-killed, and bore but 

 few berries, and those of poor quality. I will say for the Turner, how- 

 ever, that it has not had a fair chance, all the sprouts having been allowed 

 to grow, which no doubt detracted from the main plants. My neighbor's 

 Miamis suffered equally with mine. 



The Blackberry crop was an entire failure, both Lawton and Kitta- 

 tinny being frozen to the ground. A variety sent out from Waukegan, 

 and called the Western Triumph, bore very well, but the fruit is small, and 

 was all eaten by the birds. 



I am in hope that our "bad luck" with the fruit crop is over for a 

 time, and that we may have a succession of good crops and good prices. 



Wm. a. Nourse, of Moline, reported the following, which was read 

 by the Secretary : 



Strawberries. — The varieties cultivated here are mostly Wilson's Al- 

 bany and Green Prolific, and those who were so fortunate as to have any 

 living plants had a good yield of fruit. The season in fruiting time was 

 favorable, but most of the plants had been killed, by grubs in some cases, 

 and others by drought, followed by the severe winter of 1874-5. The 

 planting this season has been quite successful. 



Raspberries produced about one-half crop on Black Caps, and very 

 much less on the Antwerps, many of the latter having been killed to the 

 ground by the cold winter and drought previous. 



Currants gave a fair yield where the plants had a fair chance. The 

 currant borer attacks the pith of the plant, and makes it necessary to prune 

 vigorously ; and by keeping a good supply of young, vigorous canes, we 

 get fruit. 



Gooseberries gave a good crop — mostly American, and Houghton's 

 Seedling. 



*This Society has voted tu call this variety the McCormick. — EDITOR. 



