14 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



climate and different soil. The Russians have sadly disappointed 

 their friends, as they have blighted badly, and failed to withstand 

 the alternate heat and cold of our winters and the rain and sun of 

 our summers. It seems to me that we have attempted to unravel 

 this problem by commencing at the wrong end, ?'. ^., bringing our 

 varieties from the wrong extreme of climate. It is not extreme 

 steady cold that kills, but the alternation of cold and heat; there- 

 fore it is that the Russian, hardy in the steady cold of its native 

 country, fails with us. Instead, therefore, of bringing winter 

 varieties from a northern clime, to become fall apples with us and 

 subject to blight, we will do well to turn our attention to the winter 

 apples of a more southern latitude, which will surely be still better 

 keepers with us, and we have thus only the question of hardiness be- 

 fore us. Let us test the better class of winter apples from the 

 south, such as Picket's Late, Grain's Spice, Johnson's Keeper, Fink, 

 Spark's Late, Cache, etc., and also the apples of Kentucky and Ar- 

 kansas. I mention the names of some varieties only to call your 

 attention to the fact that there are worthy candidates for favor 

 other than the Russians, and I am firmly convinced that our new 

 varieties will come from the south. To me, it seems, that one way to 

 do this would be for this societ}^ to select and publish a list, say 

 ten varieties of apples for jSIorthern, Southern and Central Illinois 

 for family and for market, setting forth the reasons in each case for 

 the selection. There could be a list for general planting, and then a 

 trial list of new varieties also be published. For this purpose I 

 would recommend that a committee be appointed from each of the 

 three sections of the state, and that they report a list at this meeting 

 for discussion. 



The drouth in some sections had a disastrous effect on orchards 

 set last spring, but on my own place, out of some eight hundred 

 trees set, I shall lose not more than five per cent. Corn is the best 

 crop I know of in a young orchard, as it protects the trees and 

 shades the ground in the summer. Small grain in an orchard is in- 

 jurious, as the ground is exposed to the sun by the removal of the 

 crop when shade is most needed. In setting an orchard I would so 

 plant as to have eight rows of corn between the rows of trees. The 

 exact distance would be determined by the width of the corn planter. 

 In a general way I would say plant two rods apart, and upon such 

 land as raises the best crop of corn in a dry season, provided that no 

 water stands on the ground during wet times. 



The round and flat-headed borers have been unusually severe in 

 their destructive work the past season, and caused considerable dam- 

 age to newly planted orchard trees. Groing over the trees carefull^'^ 

 with knife and wire twice or more times during the year, and first of 

 June and July with a strong mixture of soft-soap and water, apply- 

 ing some to trunk of trees with a swab or brush is the only effectual 

 remedy. 



