238 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The meeting adjourned to meet at the same place, the first Tuesday 

 of February, when the diploma and silver medal awarded this Society at 

 the State Fair will be exhibited to the meeting. 



FEBRUARY MEETING. 



The February meeting was held in Warsaw on the 2d instant. The 

 usual papers were laid on the table, and also apples and cider by President 

 Hammond, wine by Wm. Bauder, cuttings from fruit trees by Messrs. 

 Andrus, Spitze and Whitaker, showing but few live fruit buds. 



Dr. Hay presented the medal and diploma awarded the Society at 

 the State Fair for the best collection of fruits exhibited. The medal is 

 inscribed with the name of the Society and the award for which given. 



On motion of J. S. Johnson, it was ordered that the Treasurer have 

 the diploma framed and presented at the next meeting. 



The following interesting communication from W. O. Hoff, 

 Wataga, Knox county, Illinois, was read, and ordered printed with the 

 discussions. It will be seen that Mr. Hoff does not claim that his list 

 of fruit would exactly suit this or any other locality. Yet all the varieties 

 named are grown here, and most of them among our standard fruits. 

 The communication is valuable to fruit growers, as to varieties and their 

 adaptation : 



* * * " My experience with fruit and fruit trees, which you referred to, 

 is small compared with John R. TuU's. In fact, I am indebted to him to a great extent 

 for many of the practical ideas that have been of use to me. 



" Hancock county seeme like home to me. The first practical efforts I made in 

 horticultural pursuits were there — now over sixteen years ago. Being acquainted with 

 all your localities, I am, and shall continue to be, specially interested in your horti- 

 cultural record and efforts. 



" I have planted, and owned in part, three pear orchards of about one thousand 

 trees, in different localities ; have seen them grow up to be beautiful trees, and then as 

 beautifully vanish away. 



" I think Dr. Hull's method of root-pruning is one of the surest ways of saving the 

 life of the tree ; but I am persuaded to believe that the Pacific Railroad will furnish a 

 more practical and constant source of supply of pears, especially if we can obtain a 

 competing line to California. I would as soon tell a man to "go to Texas" as to advise 

 him to plant a pear orchard for profit ; and yet I have some trees almost perfect, 

 bearing from year to year, of Clapp's Favorite, Howell, Flemish Beauty, Louise Bonne 

 de Jersey, etc. 



" The hard winter of 1872-73 has not changed the list of apples for hardiness; 

 those varieties that had a record for hardiness for several decades before that winter 

 may be considered as hardy still. The winter was exceptional, therefore a calamity — a 

 disaster, against which no entirely safe preparation could be made, and to which we 

 will ever be liable, though we may not ever experience the like again. Generally 

 speaking, trees of all varieties, old and young, were more or less injured, though some 



