TRANSACTIONS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILL. 339 



trees in the orchard bore heavily, but have never borne since. About 

 the same time a neighbor planted a similar orchard, on sandy, timber soil 

 underlaid with clay, which has been very profitable ; he told me this fall 

 that he had so many apples he didn't know what to do with them. 



As to pruning, some varieties need it and others will do well without. 

 Prune carefully, cutting out the small branches as needed, so as to admit 

 of getting into the head of the trees for gathering the fruit. I hope all 

 who give experiences or observations concerning orchards will state the 

 nature of the soils and subsoils. 



Mr. WiEK — Prof. Thomas thinks we are crazy because we don't 

 agree ; while the fact is, that there are some soils which will raise good 

 trees even if they are abused, while others, as those described by Mr. 

 Scofield, can not grow trees to a considerable age, no matter how you 

 treat them. On some soils, too, the trees go into the winter in good 

 condition, and the winter does not hurt them. The sandy-loess soil went 

 into the winter of 1874 as dry as powder, and many of the trees standing 

 in it died. We can not reduce horticulture to an exact science, because 

 there is so much difference in soils, subsoils, and surrounding circum- 

 stances and influences. One word more on the pruning question. I have 

 challenged members of this Society, and of the State Society, to prove 

 me wrong on my grounds, (and I have orchards on almost all kinds of 

 soils and exposures). I invite all to come and examine for themselves. 



Mr. Cockran (of Blue Island) — A stranger to Illinois, reading the 

 discussions of to-day, would think we were not in an apple-growing coun- 

 try, and yet I think we are. I planted five or six hundred trees, eight 

 years ago, on black prairie soil with clayey subsoil, and they have done 

 well. A large number were Ben Davis, of which not one has died ; the 

 Duchess of Oldenburg, also, are pictures of health. Much depends upon 

 the varieties and the treatment. I prune but very little, and surface-drain 

 my orchard. My friends Minkler and McWhorter will give any man a 

 list of apples which will do well on the prairies, and also a list which will 

 succeed on timber lands. 



Mr. Crow (of Crystal Lake) — I make no pretensions to be a successful 

 fruit grower, though I have planted many trees, beginning eighteen or 

 twenty years ago. The soil of this older orchard is prairie, underlaid with 

 gravel, and the trees are gone to blue grass, and hence are not very pro- 

 ductive. In my travels over this county I have noticed that wherever 

 orchards are cultivated they are thrifty and reasonably productive, but 

 where neglected they are full of insects. I have in mind an orchard in 



