STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 165 



CLIMATES AND SOILS. 



The extreme length of the Stale, extending, as it does, from the 

 latitude of Northern Massachusetts on the north, to that of Southern Vir- 

 ginia on the south, indicates a diversity in climate, and consequent 

 diversity in species and variety of fruits which can be successfully grown. 

 But differences in soils, subsoils and exposure, are far greater ; and these, 

 in addition to the variation in climate, have long since proved to the 

 Illinois State Horticultural Society the folly of making fruit lists for gen- 

 eral use, as they must, if made, be yearly unmade or changed. It has 

 been the practice of this Society, for a number of years, to procure lists of 

 fruits from intelligent and careful fruit growers in different parts of the 

 State, located upon different soils, which have succeeded best with them ; 

 and these lists have proved far more valuable to those about to plant trees 

 than the previous and more general lists. 



You will therefore excuse me if I do not comply with the request to 

 give a complete 'Mist of species and varieties adapted to cultivation in 

 the State." I will, however, append a^jartial list of apples which succeed 

 better than others in various localities and soils. 



Of the different soils in the State the loess formations along the river 

 bluffs are undoubtedly the best for growth of healthy, productive fruit 

 trees. In many places, as at Alton, this loess is of great thickness, and 

 of a fine, firm texture, yet sufficiently porous to admit of perfect drainage 

 to the roots of trees. This is noticeable in cases where deep cuts for streets 

 were made twenty to thirty years since, the walls of which still stand 

 perpendicular. The soil of the bluffs and ridges of Southern Illinois 

 consists of an extremely fine, comminuted clay, strongly impregnated 

 with iron to a great depth, reaching at Villa Ridge eighty feet in thick- 

 ness. So extremely fine is this soil, that it has been used, without bolting, 

 for polishing brass and silver. In this soil the pear and the peach flourish 

 admirably ; in fact, the only drawback to profitable fruit growing in the 

 Southern part of the State is the distance to markets, and the great 

 expense of sending to market by express. It is hoped that soon railroad 

 companies will be compelled to do this express business, guarantee careful 

 handling and speedy delivery of fruits (accidents excepted), at a moderate 

 profit for such service ; and when this state of things shall be inaugurated, 

 the railroad owners, the fruit growers, and the consumers, will all alike be 

 benefited, and an immense impetus be given to production throughout 

 this, one of the best fruit growing regions east of the Rocky Mountains. 



The undulating timber lands of the central portion of the State also 

 produce almost uniformly good crops of apples, hardy grapes. Early 

 May and Morello cherries ; pears, when the trees escape blight ; peaches 

 — one crop in three or four years; and abundant crops of the small 

 fruits. 



The extensive prairies of Illinois are not as surely productive of 

 good orchard crops, though where proper attention is paid to drainage a 

 fair crop of apples is the rule. Grapes and berries grow in abundance, 

 and with only moderate cultivation ; so abundant indeed, is the crop of 



